


Nothing I've Ever Known

by 12TimeTraveler



Series: Campfire Stories (RDR2 works) [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption (Video Games), Red Dead Redemption 2
Genre: Childbirth, Domestic Fluff, Double Penetration, Light Angst, Multi, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Polyamory, Smut, Threesome - F/M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:07:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 37,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27137056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/12TimeTraveler/pseuds/12TimeTraveler
Summary: "I don’t want this to separate us.” Charles murmured.“Neither do I. But it ain't gonna be easy.” Arthur replied.“Nothing in our relationship ever has been,” Charles replied. Arthur hummed in agreement. “I want us all to do this together. We’re a family. I love both of you so much.”“I love you both too,” Arthur said, nodding slowly. He cupped Charles’ hand in both of his and hung his head. It was silent for a moment, and then. “We’ll have to leave the gang.” He said quietly. Charles watched him, eyes swimming with emotion. He pressed a kiss to the side of Arthur’s head and closed his eyes, knowing exactly how much that hurt Arthur.Quietly you stood up and walked toward them. Arthur didn’t realize you were there until you were kneeling in front of him, resting your hands on his knee. His head snapped up, eyes meeting yours immediately.“I’m sorry, Arthur,” you whispered, voice hoarse with tears. You felt incredibly guilty, putting him in this position. The gang was his family, his life. You hated the thought that you were coming in between that. You buried your face against his thigh. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I...”
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston/John Marston, Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith/f!Reader
Series: Campfire Stories (RDR2 works) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978189
Comments: 12
Kudos: 81





	1. I've Never Felt Something So Strong

“Shit,” you mewled, breaking your kiss with Arthur as your pleasure took your breath away. “God Charles, yes. Right there,” you panted, looking down where you knelt on the bed. Charles lay underneath you presently, lapping at your center like you were the sweetest dessert he’d ever tasted. His eyes locked on yours, pupils blown with lust, and gave you a wicked look as he continued his work. 

Arthur knelt next to you, helping you keep your balance. He pressed kisses along your shoulder and collarbone as you tossed your head back, letting out a feral groan as Charles picked up the pace. You tangled one hand in Arthurs hair, the other already lost in Charles’ long locks. 

Arthur and Charles had whisked you away after a job, bringing you to an empty cabin they’d found. Here the three of you could take your time with each other, as opposed to quick blowjobs behind the wagons and fingering you against the trees outside of camp. Arthur and Charles had spent the last hour getting you worked up, working together to drive you crazy, taking turns eating you out and fingering you. They’d only let you cum once, enjoying how desperate and frustrated you got when they pulled back just in time. 

“He makin’ you feel good, princess?” Arthur cooed, face inches from yours. You nodded desperately, clinging to the back of his neck to keep your balance as your legs trembled. Lewd sounds were coming from between your legs as Charles lapped at your dripping center. You didn’t think you’d ever been this wet before. 

You let out a high-pitched whine as he slipped two fingers inside of you, slowly scissoring them to help ease you open.

“Oh f-fuck,” you stammered. “Oh shit. Charles. Ch... Ch... Charles, please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.” You whimpered, grinding your hips down against his face. He hummed, clearly pleased with your response. 

“What d’you think, Charles?” Arthur asked, looking down at him. “Think we should let her cum?” He asked. You let out a sob, still babbling, pleading with him. You were almost certain if you didn’t cum now, you’d die. Arthur and Charles held each other’s gaze, holding a silent conversation. Arthur nodded and wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you to him tenderly. 

“Don’t worry, darlin’,” He cooed, “Charles is gonna take good care of you,” He promised. You could have wept with relief, babbling thank yous to them both. You were silenced when Charles’ lips wrapped around your sensitive nub, sucking on it. “Go on, baby,” Arthur cooed, rubbing your arm soothingly. “Show him how good he makes you feel.”

You didn’t need any encouragement. Your legs were trembling, barely supporting you, as you went hurtling toward your orgasm. You clung to Arthur tightly as your pleasure washed over you. You threw your head back, mouth open in a silent cry as Charles stole the breath from your lungs. You trembled on top of him as your body pulsed around his fingers, doing your best not to fall onto him. 

As you came down from your orgasm, Arthur carefully scooped you into his arms, sitting back on the bed and cradling you in his lap so Charles could sit up. You grabbed Charles the moment he was kneeling next to you, smashing your lips against his and kissing him sloppily, not caring that your juices smeared across your face as you did. Charles returned the kiss happily, gently taking you from Arthur’s arms and pulling you into his own lap.

“Christ, Charles,” you panted, breaking the kiss to gasp for air. Charles nuzzled his nose against your cheek, long locks brushing against your sweaty forehead. 

“You taste so good, my love,” Charles murmured. “You’re so good for us. So wet.” He glanced up at Arthur who was watching you both tenderly. “You should feel, Arthur. She’s absolutely drenched down there.” Your body jerked slightly as Arthur’s fingers ghosted over your oversensitive clit. 

“Damn,” Arthur gasped, staring at you with awe. “I didn’t think you could get much wetter than you were when I was down there,” He remarked, fingers dipping inside of you, gently teasing you. You whined and clung to Charles as Arthur fingered you. Arthur withdrew his fingers, looking at the way they glistened in the light from the fireplace. 

“You’ve done very well,” Charles praised. “Do you think you can take some more? Or did we wear you out?” he asked, tenderly brushing your damp hair off your head. 

“I ain’t anywhere near done with you boys,” You assured him. “I just need a second to recoup.” 

“You'll have it,” Charles assured you, leaning back against the headboard and cradling you close to his body. You rested your forehead against his chest and closed your eyes. A moment later you felt something bump against your bicep. Arthur knelt in front of you, holding out a canteen of water, which you took happily. 

“Sweetheart,” Arthur asked quietly, not quite hesitant but... almost reverent. Respectful. But you didn’t miss the hungry look in his eyes. You hummed before swallowing the mouthful of water. You offered the canteen to Charles, who gratefully took a swig before handing it back to you. 

“Do you think...” Arthur paused. “Do you think tonight might be the night we try... it?” He asked. He didn’t need to elaborate on what he meant by “it.” The three of you had been discussing it for months now, slowly working up to it, training you. 

“Yeah,” you replied, nodding. “Lets try.” 

“You sure, my love?” Charles asked, ever the worrier. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I don’t want you getting hurt. Taking one of us in each hole is one thing, but both of us in...” You shushed him gently, cupping his face in your hands. 

“I’m well aware,” You said, amusement in your voice. It was your pussy, after all, that was facing the daunting task of taking both of them at once. One in the ass and one in your pussy you’d done plenty of times. But never both in your cunt before. Months of stolen moments just outside of camp, being spread by their joined fingers, slowly working your body up to the stretch it would take. “I want to try it.” You said again. 

“You’ll tell us if it hurts? If you need to stop?” He asked, eyes locked on yours. You nodded and pecked him on the lips. 

“You could never hurt me, Charles,” You said, as surely as you would have said the sun would set that evening. “Neither of you ever could,” You said. 

“Unfortunately we could,” Charles said, brows furrowing slightly. 

“No, you really couldn’t,” You replied. “As big and scary as you both may be, you’re also some of the most gentle men I’ve ever met. You know me better than I know myself most days. You couldn’t hurt me if you wanted to.” You said. 

“You’re too cute,” Arthur cooed, pressing a kiss to your forehead. The two of you looked up at Charles, giving him your best puppy-dog eyes.

“Alright then,” Charles relented. “But if it becomes too much, you have to let us know. What’s the safe word?” He asked. He always made sure to check any time you were going to do something more adventurous. 

“Bear.” you replied instantly. Charles nodded in satisfaction. Arthur climbed off the bed to grab a tin of balm from his satchel. 

“Alright then,” Charles said, scooting down the bed before laying down with you on his chest. You slowly rolled off of him so that you were laying next to him, snuggled up against him. The bed creaked and the mattress dipped as Arthur came back to the bed, armed with his tin of balm. 

“Catch your breath while Charles and I get ready, princess,” Arthur cooed, leaning across Charles’ body to press a kiss to your cheek. You nodded, stretching out beside Charles, letting any cramps in your muscles work themselves out as you watched them. 

Charles rolled onto his back, with Arthur lounging beside him, propped up on one elbow. Arthur leaned over Charles, gently sweeping his hair out of his face before leaning down to kiss him. Charles met his lips eagerly, hungrily. Arthur scooped some of the balm from the tin, coating his fingers in it before wrapping his hand around Charles’ thick cock. 

You could feel a groan rumble through Charles’ chest as Arthur slowly began stroking him. Both men had been focusing on worshiping you, and their cocks looked neglected and painful, tips an angry red color. The way Charles shuddered against you, you knew it felt good to get some friction against his hard member. 

Charles broke the kiss and dipped his fingers into the tin of balm, reaching out and giving Arthur the same treatment. Arthur hissed at the contact, and gasped out a few curses. You watched as both men squeezed their eyes shut, mouths parted slightly as they groaned at the sensation. 

“My poor men,” you cooed, resting your chin on Charles’ chest. Both opened their eyes and gave you a questioning look. “You’ve both treated me so well, but you’ve been suffering. You should have let me help,” you pouted. Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Don’t you worry ‘bout us, darlin’.” Arthur replied, leaning over Charles to give you a quick kiss. “You just take some of that balm and start working yourself open, hmm?” He asked. You nodded and grabbed the balm, coating your fingers in the slick substance before laying back alongside Charles. 

You spread your legs, letting one knee hook over Charles’ legs while the other bent to the side. You slipped your fingers inside yourself. Damn, they were right. You were so wet. You began moving three fingers inside of yourself as best as you could, your pussy already relaxed some from the work Charles and Arthur had done earlier. 

You lolled your head to the side, watching as Arthur and Charles stroked each other. Charles reached over with his free hand and slipped two fingers inside of you, alongside your fingers. There was a slight burn, but your body adjusted quickly, slick and relaxed. You made sure to coat your entrance in balm, not that you weren’t slick already, but you wanted to be sure.

The three of you lay there for a moment, lazily slicking yourselves up, pressing kisses across each other’s bodies as you did. The only sound was the occasional sigh or moan, and the slippery sound of wet skin. 

“You ready?” Charles asked eventually. You nodded. “Come here, then,” He said, rolling over onto his side and opening his arms for you. You nuzzled against his chest as Arthur climbed over the two of you so that he was resting behind you, arms wrapped around you. He was unable to resist rutting against you a few times. 

“Go on, then,” Charles chuckled, giving Arthur a long-suffering look as he gently lifted your leg. Arthur wrapped his arm around your hips, pulling you close. You gasped as he rubbed his cock along your center for a moment, slicking himself up even more before pushing in. 

You sighed, leaning back against him as he pushed into you. It always felt so good to have him inside of you. His hips rubbed against your ass as he slowly moved in and out, taking his time, dragging his cock along that sweet spot inside of you. You turned your head, and were met by his lips instantly, kissing you hungrily. Arthur lazily moved in and out of you for a moment.

“Think you’re ready for him?” Arthur murmured in your ear, looking over at Charles. You bit your lip and nodded, leaning forward to shower Charles with kisses, quietly assuring him that you were ready for him before he could ask again. 

You shivered with anticipation as Charles’ hands slid down your waist to your hips, holding you steady. He slid his cock between your legs, slicking it up with your juices. Arthur hissed in pleasure as Charles’ cock bumped against his. You glanced behind you. Arthur was watching Charles with lust in his eyes. 

Charles leaned over you and gave Arthur a slow kiss before turning his attention to you. His lips met yours and he kissed you deeply, teeth gently nipping at your lower lip. You sighed into the kiss as you felt his cock push against you. 

Your hands scrabbled over his as that wonderful pleasure-pain washed over you. You gasped as you felt the tip of his cock slip in alongside Arthur. You could hear Arthur and Charles murmuring praises and sweet nothings. You couldn’t quite focus on specific words though. 

“My love,” Charles’ voice finally came through clearly. “Is there a Bear coming?” he asked. You shook your head vigorously. 

“N-no.” You panted. “No. I’m good. So good.” Charles and Arthur peppered your face in kisses, giving you a moment to adjust. As the burn dulled, you grabbed Charles’ hips and pulled him a little closer, moving him further inside of you. You moaned and your head rolled back against Arthur’s chest. 

“Look at you,” Arthur purred in your ear. He pulled his hips back slowly, pulling most of the way out of you. You let out a strange noise, something between a whimper and a moan. Charles slowly pushed in as far as he could. He paused for a moment before slowly pulling back, as Arthur pushed in. They continued like this, a slow back-and-forth dance, each movement pulling air from your lungs. 

“You’re doing so well,” Charles murmured. You met his gaze. 

“H-hows it feel?” you asked shakily. The pleasure had your body trembling and tingling, and you were surprised you could even form words. “Rubbin’ against him--oh shit,” You were cut off as Arthur rolled his hips in a particularly perfect way. “Rubbin’ against him inside me?” You turned your head to ask Arthur as well. “How’s it feel?” 

“Oh darln’,” Arthur growled, resting his head against yours as he pulled out and Charles pushed back in. “It’s like nothin’ else in the world.” 

“It’s indescribable.” Charles agreed. “The three of us are connected in a new way.” You and Arthur nodded in agreement. You let out a little cry as Arthur pushed back in, a little faster this time. 

“How about you?” Arthur murmured. “Feel good?” You whimpered, biting your lip and nodding vigorously. 

“Any pain?” Charles asked, ever the caregiver. 

“Not anymore,” You moaned. “A l-little at the very start. But now it’s just... so full. So complete.” 

“Think we can go a little faster?” Arthur asked gently. 

“P-please,” you begged. You turned your torso slightly, wrapping one arm around Arthur’s shoulders, the other around Charles’. Charles bent over you and gently began nipping and sucking at your breast while Arthur captured your lips in his. The two began picking up the pace, your slicked center allowing them to move smoothly in and out. 

Arthur broke the kiss and tossed his head back, eyes screwed shut and lips parted in pleasure. None of you were going to last long at this rate. You could feel Charles’ muscles tensing as he struggled to hold back. 

“Give it to me,” you gasped, urging them on. What slight pain there was had made way for unspeakable pleasure, and you were eager to see how much more they could give you. “Don’t hold back.” Charles released your nipple and looked up at you. “L-let go for me, use me. Fill me up.” You babbled. 

Charles wrapped his arms around you tighter, pressing his body up against yours as he began thrusting harder, letting his restraint go. Arthur bit your shoulder as he grabbed your hips with bruising force. Any rhythm they’d set was gone, both men just thrusting into you. 

“Shit. Yes. Yes. Please. God. Yes. Arthur. Charles.” You weren’t even entirely sure what you were saying at this point, lost in your pleasure. Your vision blurred as tears of pleasure pooled at the corner of your eyes. You could hear yourself babbling, continuing your string of curses and praises. You could feel your orgasm rapidly approaching, feeling so strong, so powerful, you were almost afraid it would carry you away. You clung to your men tightly.

Arthur let out low, growling grunts as he moved into you. Charles was a moaning mess, face buried in the blankets next to yours. You knew your hips and waist would be bruised from their grips. Marks you’d look at with pride for days after this, knowing you’d brought them so much pleasure. 

Arthur let out a yelp, and you felt his cock pulse inside of you as he came. His hips rolled against yours a few more times before they stilled. He let out a small whimper as Charles continued thrusting, the friction overstimulating him. But he didn’t pull out, not wanting to stop your impending orgasm from washing you away. Charles moaned as he felt Arthur’s seed begin to coat his cock. The way he was trembling, you knew he was close too. But he wasn’t going to let himself cum until you did. 

Fortunately, you were right on the precipice, leaning over, waiting for it to sweep you away. Arthur’s hand slipped between you and Charles, fingers splitting in a v shape around Charles’ cock, palm rubbing your clit perfectly. 

You and Charles cried out in harmony, orgasms hitting at the same time. You clung to your men tightly, body spasming and trembling between them. Arthur buried his face in your neck, gritting his teeth at the overstimulation. Charles’ hips thrust into you without restraint, lost in pleasure. 

Your orgasm seemed to go on and on, coming in wave after wave of pleasure. You were still a twitching, writhing mess long after Charles’ hips stopped moving against you. Your men sandwiched you tightly between them, hands trailing up and down your body to soothe you. Slowly your twitching lessened, though your walls still pulsed with pleasure. You let out little whimpers, still clinging tightly to your men as every nerve inside you tingled. 

“Our good girl,” Arthur sighed in your ear, nuzzling his face against your neck. Charles pressed kisses along your collarbone. 

“Are you alright?” Charles murmured. You nodded, too breathless to respond in words. The three of you lay there for a moment, holding each other as you recovered. 

Charles pulled out of you once your breathing began returning to something closer to normal. You let out a quiet little yelp as he pulled out, and a whimper as he slowly disentangled himself from you and stood up. You grabbed his wrist, whining something unintelligible about not going. 

“Shhh,” He murmured, leaning over you and pressing a kiss to your cheeks. “I’ll be right back. I’m just getting something to clean us up with.” 

“I’ve got you, princess,” Arthur murmured, slipping one arm under you to wrap around your chest and pull you close, giving you that secure, protective cuddling he knew you needed after a love-making session like that. He draped one leg over you, blanketing you with his body as he spooned you. 

You blearily watched as Charles walked naked across the room to where he’d set his satchel on the table. He pulled out a couple clean handkerchiefs and a box of crackers and returned to the bed, grabbing the canteen of water off the floor as he passed it. 

He carefully sat on the bed next to you, handing one of the handkerchiefs to Arthur. Using the other handkerchief, he gently dabbed at the tears that sat at the corner of your eyes. He then gently wiped some of the sweat from your forehead. 

Arthur pulled out of you and wiped himself off, hissing slightly. He then very gently spread your legs and pressed the handkerchief between them. You whimpered and squirmed, overstimulated and sore. He hushed you gently, carefully cleaning you up. 

You took the handkerchief from Charles, much to his surprise, and tenderly cleaned him up as well, careful not to hurt him. He smiled down at you lovingly. 

“Here,” He urged you. “Sit up and eat something.” He opened the container of crackers. You shook your head and made grabby hands at him. All you wanted, all you needed right now, was to be held by him and Arthur. “Alright,” He murmured, setting the crackers aside. “But drink something first.” He said, opening the canteen. You drank obediently from the bottle, then passed it to Arthur who took a long swig as well. 

Arthur began screwing the top back on the canteen, but you pulled it from his hands and shoved it toward Charles. Charles chuckled, but did as you were asking, taking the canteen and finishing off the water before tossing it aside. 

“Satisfied?” He asked, teasingly. You hummed and stretched out, joints popping as you settled into the bed. You felt Arthur settle at your back once more, and Charles lay down in front of you. You wrapped your arms around his middle and buried your head against his chest. 

“You alright, darlin’?” Arthur asked gently. You hummed in affirmation. 

“You have any words for us?” Charles asked. You shook your head. Sometimes, after a particularly intense love-making session, you found yourself so blissed out you didn’t want to speak. It had made your men uncomfortable at first, but once you’d explained it to them, they took it as a huge compliment. Charles always asked, just to check in on you. 

Charles hummed in response and sighed, seeming to sink into the mattress as he settled in. 

“Our good girl,” Charles sighed. 

“I’m so proud of you,” Arthur murmured. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weeks phased into months as they always do. You worked some jobs. You snuck out of camp with your lovers for some alone time. Hunting with Charles. Exploring with Arthur. Even when things went wrong, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be truly miserable. You had them, and that’s all that mattered. 

You let out a little groan as you drifted awake, eyes fluttering open. It was early morning, judging by the light streaming through the canvas of the tent you shared with Charles and Arthur. The world was a pale blue, the sun not quite cresting the horizon. You did a quick mental check, trying to figure out what had woken you up. 

A dull ache in your bosom seemed to have been the cause. Your breasts were tender, every movement causing them to ache. You grumbled and flipped over so you were laying on your back. You gently rubbed your bosom, trying to ease the ache. 

Arthur, who was asleep on your right, rolled over onto his stomach and draped his arm across you. You hissed as his arm landed on your tender chest. He mumbled out an apology, still mostly asleep, and shifted his arm down to your waist. You rested your hand over the top of his, intertwining your fingers as you stared up at the canvas ceiling. Maybe you could fall back asleep for another hour before you had to get up. 

You closed your eyes and tried to drift back off, listening to the quiet snoring of your men on either side of you. Charles lay on his back, hands clasped over his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, dressed in a grey union shirt and his normal trousers. Arthur now lay on his stomach, arm resting over you. He hadn’t stripped down to his night clothes last night, having gotten in quite late. He lay in his blue shirt and regular jeans, but he’d shed his gun belt.

You’d never slept better since you’d all decided to share a tent. Sandwiched between your two men, surrounded by their warmth, and their scent. You felt completely calm in this space, just the three of you together. 

You’d nearly drifted off to sleep, feeling warm as you took in their presence, when your stomach started doing flips. You tried to ignore it, tried to push it away, but it was persistent. Your mind turned, trying to figure out if you’d eaten something that might have made you sick. Before it could settle on something, you knew you had to get out of the tent. 

“Shit,” you muttered, sitting up and scooting out from between your two lovers. Both men sat upright, startled out of their sleep, looking around for whatever danger might be present. 

“Darlin’?” Arthur asked. You didn’t respond, just covering your mouth with one hand as you scrambled out of the tent. 

“Are you alright, love?” Charles asked. 

You emerged from the tent, still covering your mouth as you made for the nearest bush. You’d silently been hoping that the fresh air may push down your nausea, but it did not. You barely made it to the edge of camp, bracing your hand against a tree to keep yourself steady as you lost your stomach contents. You heard Arthur and Charles scramble out of the tent and follow you.

Fingers gently pulled your hair out of your face, holding it out of the way as you hurled and heaved. Your stomach contracted, trying to push out everything it could, until you were just dry heaving over the bushes. Finally it seemed to settle some, and you stood upright, leaning against the tree. 

Charles let go of your hair, gently stroking your head in an attempt to soothe you. Arthur was hurrying over with a canteen of fresh water. He handed it to you, and you took a swig, using it to rinse the nasty taste from your mouth. You spit out the rancid water before taking another swig, hoping the cool liquid would settle your stomach. 

“Are you alright, my songbird?” Charles asked gently. You nodded, leaning your head back against the tree. 

“Yeah. Just... nauseous all the sudden.” You said, panting slightly. 

“Think you ate something?” Arthur asked, concerned. You nodded. 

“Must have done,” You said, taking another swig of water. You stood there a moment, feeling your stomach churning once more. You handed the canteen back to Arthur and doubled over once more, losing all the water you’d just drunk. Charles quickly pulled your hair back and began expertly braiding it to keep it out of your way. Arthur’s hand rubbed your back gently. Your stomach finally stopped constricting, and you leaned back against the tree once more. 

“I always knew Pearson’s cooking was gonna make me sick one day.” you joked. Arthur smirked. 

“Wonder if he put some bad meat in.” Charles mused. 

“It was fresh. Hunted it myself.” you replied. “Must have been something else he put in. Wouldn’t surprise me if he could turn good meat sour.” Your stomach lurched again, and you bent over, dry heaving into the bushes. There was nothing really left in your stomach to lose. 

“Come on,” Charles said as your stomach stopped. “You should lay back down and rest for the day.”

“I’ll go get you a bucket to keep by your head, just in case,” Arthur said, hurrying away. You nodded and Charles wrapped an arm around your waist, gently guiding you back to the tent. Once inside, he piled all three bedrolls in the middle of the tent, making an extra soft bed for you before letting you lie down. Arthur entered a moment later with a pot, which he set down next to you. 

Arthur grabbed a clean bandanna from his trunk and poured some water on it, ringing it out before folding it up and placing it on your forhead. The cool fabric felt good against your face. You closed your eyes, doing your best to focus on not dry heaving over the pot.

“You going to be alright?” Charles asked gently, holding your hand in one of his and rubbing up and down. 

“Yeah. Just leave me to feel miserable.” you mumbled. “Once my stomach settles I’ll get up.”

“Just rest, darlin’.” Arthur murmured, lifting the damp bandana to press a kiss to your forehead before laying it back down. “Get feelin’ better.” You nodded and heard Arthur exit the tent. 

“You sure there’s nothing I can do for you?” Charles asked quietly. You felt his large hand come back to stroke your hair back. 

“Go throttle Pearson for me” you joked. “I’m fine, Charles. Just under the weather.” Charles chuckled and pressed a kiss to your cheek. 

“If you need anything, just holler. I’ll come running.” He promised. You hummed in acknowledgment. You felt Charles stand up next to you, and heard him exit the tent.

As you lay in your tent, damp bandana on your face, trying to push down the nausea and rest, your mind began to meander through everything going on in your life. You couldn’t help but smile as you thought about your two men. The way the three of you spent time by the fire laughing and talking. Going out on rides with them. They way they held you as you made love. 

For two grizzled outlaws, they really were some of the sweetest men you’d ever met. Arthur could be a little dense sometimes, though he was smarter than he let on. He and Charles were so attentive, bringing you coffee when you were on guard duty, taking you out riding when your temper rose, bringing you sweets and massaging your back when your monthly period came. 

Suddenly your mind froze on one single thought. Late. You hadn’t had your monthly cycle yet. You’d just brushed it off, not ungrateful to be missing out on the pain from it. Your life was crazy, and sometimes the stress had caused your monthly to be late, if not skip altogether. You hadn’t really thought anything of it. 

But a missed period, plus nausea… the mind does tend to jump to conclusions. You sat up, removing the damp bandana from your face and grabbing your journal. You flipped back through the pages, looking for the little star you always drew by the date of your monthly, your little way of keeping track. It had been more than two months since you last bled. 

You dropped the book in your lap, doing your best to keep your breathing even and not panic. You’d thought you were being careful, only letting them finish inside of you right after your period, or right before. You’d always been told you wouldn’t get pregnant during those times. You’d thought you were in the clear. But what if… 

You lay back down, suddenly feeling lightheaded and nauseous again. You draped the bandana back over your eyes and tried to take deep breaths, tried to focus on something else. Anything else. 

“Are you awake?” you heard Mrs. Grimshaw call gently from outside your tent. 

“Yes.” you replied, slowly sitting up once more and removing the rag from your eyes. Mrs. Grimshaw ducked in, bringing with her some water and a tonic. 

“Hosea says this should help your stomach settle,” She said, handing you the tonic. You stared at it for a moment, but didn’t move. “Drink up.” Mrs. Grimshaw ordered, voice changing from soothing to commanding. You looked up at her, and her expression softened. “What’s going on?” She asked, sitting down beside you, immediately moving to mama mode. You opened your journal back up and handed it to her, pointing to the little star. 

“That’s the last day I bled.” you said quietly, numbly. Mrs. Grimshaw studied the date, connected the dots, then looked back at you.

“You think… I thought you said you were being careful?” she hissed. Some months back, when you’d started seeing Charles and Arthur, she’d pulled you aside and reminded you what could happen. You’d assured her that you were being careful, and after a long, somewhat awkward discussion, she’d seemed satisfied.

“Not careful enough,” you replied. “How… how else can I tell?” you asked, staring at your hands in your lap. 

“Not a lot of ways to know until you start showing,” Grimshaw replied. “But… is your bosom feeling more tender than normal?” 

“Yes,” You nodded, recalling how your sore chest had been what woke you up this morning. Mrs. Grimshaw patted your arm gently. 

“Well, all that combined. I’d wager you’re in the family way then,” She said. Her voice was soft, almost soothing. That was the magic of Mrs. Grimshaw, she could be shrill and shrieking most days, but when she knew you needed her to be, she could be the most gentle, motherly person you knew. You were silent for a moment, fighting back the tears that were pushing their way through. 

“Do you know which one it could be?” She asked, meaning which of your two lovers were the father. 

“Could be either of them.” you replied. “Mrs. Grimshaw,” you whispered, and you lost the battle against your tears. Mrs. Grimshaw shushed you gently and wrapped her arms around your shoulders, letting you cry into her shirt. “What am I going to do?” you hiccuped, trying to keep quiet between your sobs. 

“I think that’s a discussion for another time, with another person. Or two people, rather.” Mrs. Grimshaw said quietly. “Right now just take a moment to collect yourself. There’s a girl.” She said as you took in deep, shaky breaths. You looked up at her, and she carefully dried your eyes. “This may not be what you were expecting, or planning, but you’ll need to consider what you want, and what they want.” You nodded vigorously, scrubbing at your face and refusing to let more tears come. “There. Now just relax and lie down. It’s not good getting yourself all worked up right now.” She said, gently laying you back down on the bedroll. 

“Mrs. Grimshaw…” You asked quietly, feeling very much like a small child. She hummed in response. “You wont… you wont tell anyone yet, will you? I… I know Dutch will need to know but… I don’t want people knowing before Arthur and Charles.” you whispered. Mrs. Grimshaw nodded. 

“It’s not my secret to tell. You tell your men, and then the three of you can face Dutch together. But for now just get some rest.” She held up the cup of water, and you took it gratefully, downing the cool water in one gulp. You sniffed, and Mrs. Grimshaw smiled at you, handing you the wet bandana you’d had over your face. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Grimshaw.” You said. She just nodded, patted your hand once more, and left you alone in the tent. You placed the wet bandana over your eyes once more. Feeling exhausted, maybe from vomiting, maybe from crying, or maybe even because you were growing a small human inside of you. It wasn’t long before you dozed off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

You woke some time in the early afternoon. You were feeling better, and you could sit up without feeling like your insides were trying to come out. Slowly you stood and exited your tent. 

Camp was quiet, peaceful. The usual suspects appeared to be out on jobs. Dutch was reading in the shade of a tree. Molly was primping herself nearby. Uncle was taking his afternoon nap in the shade of a wagon. The girls were sitting on the other side of camp, sewing and chatting quietly. 

“Feeling better?” Mrs. Grimshaw asked, coming up alongside you. You nodded and gave her a grateful smile. “Good. Go over to Pearson’s wagon and find yourself an apple or something to eat. Then you can clean some of the guns.” She instructed. 

“Yes, Ma’am,” you said, saluting before walking across camp. You found yourself a nice ripe apple amongst Pearson’s supplies and ate it before settling at a table and beginning work on cleaning the scout rifles. It was easy work, relaxing. You actually enjoyed cleaning the guns. You could get lost in your own head very easily. You were nearly done before someone bothered you. 

“Feeling better, darlin’?” Arthur’s familiar drawl caught your attention. You glanced up to see him standing next to you. He leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on your lips, which you returned. 

“Mostly,” you said. “Still feel kind of tired. But I don’t feel like I’m going to lose my stomach again.” Arthur hummed and sat next to you. 

“Good,” He said, pulling you close. You nuzzled against him. “Charles went out hunting. Said he was gonna bring back something nice to eat. Something for just the three of us. Don’t want you getting sick from Pearson’s cooking again.” He said. You hummed, thinking for a moment. 

“Think we could track Charles down before he gets back to camp? I want us three to set up camp somewhere else tonight.” you said. Arthur raised an eyebrow and nodded. 

“Sure." He drawled. "He told me he was gonna go hunt down by the river. Should be easy enough to find.” You wiped off your hands and set down the gun you were cleaning. Arthur held out a hand to help you up, and the two of you walked hand-in-hand toward the horses. “You sure you can stomach a ride?” He asked, concerned. You nodded. 

“I’ll be fine, as long as we take it easy.” you assured him. He nodded and held your horse steady while you mounted up before he mounted his own horse. 

Charles’ tracks were easy enough to follow. It wasn’t long before you came across Taima grazing happily along the riverbanks. She whinnied when the two of you rode up. Charles was nowhere to be seen, probably tracking something. You’d wait for him here. You dismounted and let your horses join Taima in grazing. You walked toward the river and half-leaned, half-sat on a large boulder, staring out at the water.

Your stomach churned with nerves. You knew you needed to tell them, but what if you weren’t ready to tell them? You weren’t ready to face any of this. What would they think? What would they do? What would any of you do? 

“You feelin’ sick again?” Arthur’s voice cut through your thoughts. You glanced over at him. “You’re pale, like this morning.” He said. You gave him what you hoped was a reassuring smile. 

“I’m fine,” You assured him. 

“Then what’s wrong?” He asked, concern written all over his face. You sighed, feeling emotions welling up again.

“I…” you sighed. “I will tell you, I promise. But I need to tell you and Charles together.” you said, meeting his gaze. He frowned and walked towards you. He rubbed his hand up and down your arm, studying you carefully. 

“What's…” He paused. 

“Please, Arthur,” you begged, tears welling up in your eyes once more. This seemed to scare him even more. He wrapped his arms around you, and you buried your face in his stomach. Arthur held you tightly to him. 

“Alright, alright,” He soothed. “I won’t push ya. You tell me when you’re ready.” He soothed. There was a pain in his voice, and you realized exactly where his self-deprecating mind thought you were. He thought you were going to end things with him. You looked up at him. 

“It ain’t what you’re thinking,” You said fiercely, wiping your eyes. “Don’t start that. I’ll love you till the day I die. So don’t even think I’m bringing you out here to… to…” you couldn’t even finish your sentence. Inexplicably, more tears started flowing. 

“Alright, darlin’,” he soothed. “Alright. I didn’t mean to make you more upset.” He murmured, holding you tightly. 

“You two didn’t have to come out to find me,” Charles’ pleasant greeting interrupted. You looked over to see him striding toward you, a large smile on his face and a large rabbit in his hands. You sniffled and turned your head to wipe your eyes, but you knew Charles had seen you. “What’s… going on?” He asked cautiously, looking between you and Arthur. Another sob bubbled up in your chest. Goddamn pregnancy emotions. You couldn’t stop crying. Arthur sat down on the rock next to you, wrapping his arms around you. 

“Darlin’, you’re really startin’ to scare me.” He admitted. Charles leaned on the rock on your other side and pulled you close. 

“My love, what’s going on?” He asked. 

“Its… I… we… I…” you hiccuped, unable to form words. You clasped your hands over your mouth and leaned forward, trying to bury your sobs. Charles rubbed your back soothingly, and Arthur leaned forward, studying your face. 

“Sweetheart…” He said quietly, looking horribly worried. After a moment, you sat back up. 

“I...I...I’m so...sor...sorry.” you hiccupped. “I… I… I…” You let out a choked laugh at the fact that you couldn’t get any words out. 

“Come here,” Charles said, helping you to your feet. He held you upright, taking slow breaths, which you tried to match. He met your gaze, concern swimming in his eyes. You felt Arthur’s hands on your sides, gently soothing you. You stood there, in the arms of your men, swaying slightly from side to side while you steadied your breathing. Slowly you regained control of yourself. 

“I’m sorry,” You said, shakily. “I know I’m scaring you both. I just…” You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. “Can we go find somewhere to camp for the night? Somewhere no one will bother us?” you asked quietly. “I need to talk to you both about something but…” Charles shushed you gently. 

“Of course, my songbird.” He murmured, knocking his head against yours. “There’s a nice place not far from here. We can set up camp, and you can talk at your own pace.” He soothed. You nodded. “Ride with me on Taima?” He asked. You nodded again. You stood up on your tip toes and pressed a quick kiss to Charles’ lips, then turned and gave Arthur one to match. He stroked your hair for a moment before letting you go. 

The three of you walked back towards the horses, Arthur stopping to pick up the rabbit Charles had caught for you all. Charles helped you up onto Taima’s back, then settled behind you. You whistled for your horse, and he came up alongside Taima, staring at you curiously. Once Arthur mounted up, Charles squeezed his legs around Taima, urging her forward. 

The three of you crossed the river and climbed the hillside. Charles kept his arms securely around you, holding you close and offering you what comfort he could. Arthur hummed a little tune, like you sometimes caught him doing when he was riding. He knew you liked when he did, so he was doing it to try to make you smile. 

You sighed and leaned back against Charles, who pressed a kiss to the top of your head. You loved both of them so much you could scarcely breathe. You were terrified of what this news could do to your relationship. When the baby was born it would be pretty obvious who the father was. Would the other one leave? Would they both leave you? 

You felt your shoulders tremble as you fought to keep down tears once more. Charles felt it too, and he shushed you gently, holding you close with his free hand and pressing sweet kisses against the side of your face. 

The three of you rode past Riggs Station and turned off the road, heading into the trees. You stopped in a small little clearing, and Charles dismounted before reaching up to help you down. Arthur dismounted and stepped toward you, pulling you close against him once more and holding you tightly. You hugged him back, burying your face in his chest. You looked up at him, and then at Charles. Both stared at you with concern carved into their features. You sighed. 

“I’ll… I’ll skin the rabbit.” you said finally. Charles nodded. 

“I’ll get started on a fire.” 

“I’ll set up the tent.” Arthur added. But none of you moved to do any of that. Almost in sync, Charles and Arthur each brought a hand up to cup the side of your face. You sighed and smiled at their soft touch. You turned your face to press a kiss into Arthur’s hand, then Charles’. 

“I’m okay,” you assured them, giving them what you hoped was a reassuring smile. “Just… overwhelmed by it all.” You said. 

“By what all?” Arthur asked gently. 

“I… Its…” your chest tightened. You sucked in a deep breath. “Let’s get camp set up first, and then I’ll tell you. I promise.” You said. You still weren’t quite ready to tell them, and you had to admit you were stalling a little, but you also wanted to be settled into your camp for the night, before you told them. 

“Alright, princess,” Arthur said, kissing your forehead before stepping away to remove the tent from the back of his horse. 

“When you’re ready,” Charles murmured, kissing your cheek before letting you go to untie the rabbit from your horse. He could see right through your stalling tactics. But he wasn’t going to push you. You took the rabbit from him gratefully and sat down on a log to get to work on skinning it. 

The three of you worked in silence setting up your camp for the night. Charles had a fire going in no time. Once you seasoned the rabbit meat, you set it over the fire to cook. Arthur finished setting up the tent and came to sit next to you. Charles sat on the other side. 

You felt sick to your stomach again. You weren’t sure if it was nerves or your pregnancy though. You managed to push the nausea aside, though Charles seemed to sense you weren’t feeling well and gently pulled you to rest your head on his shoulder. 

Arthur pulled out his journal and began to write in it, chewing on his lip. You knew he was probably writing about your behavior, about his worries. You needed to put it all to an end. You had to tell them. 

You sat up straight and took your hat off, setting it aside and running your fingers through your hair. Both men could tell you were steeling up your courage, and they gave you their full attention. You sucked in a deep breath, ready to start talking, but no words came out of your mouth. You let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Just, start at the beginning,” Arthur suggested, rubbing your back gently. You nodded. The beginning. Where was the beginning? 

You pulled your journal out from your bag and opened it to the last date that had the little star by it. You pointed to it. 

“I put this in my journal to keep track of my… monthly cycle.” you explained, voice hoarse. “This was the last time I bled.” 

“That’s more than two months ag--” Charles froze. You could practically see his mind slowly putting all the pieces together. 

“But… I thought it was supposed to happen every month,” Arthur said, confused. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” 

“No she’s… you’re not sick, are you my love.” It was a statement, not a question. “You’re…” Charles couldn’t even finish the sentence. You met his gaze and nodded. 

“I think so.” You said quietly. You watched a flurry of emotions cross his face. But you couldn’t have predicted what he’d do next. 

Charles leapt to his feet, shouting and cheering and whooping and hollering, jumping around the camp excitedly. You and Arthur watched in shock and surprise. You’d never seen him like this before.

“Oh my love, my love,” Charles said, pulling you to your feet and into his arms, hugging you tightly. He cupped your face in his hands. “You’re really…?” He asked. You couldn’t help but let out a tearful laugh as you nodded, so relieved. 

“Someone wanna explain what’s going on?” Arthur growled, a little irritated at being left out. 

“Shes…” Charles couldn’t even seem to finish a single word. You finished it for him. 

“I’m pregnant.” you said. Arthur stared at you in shock. “At least... I’m pretty sure I am,” His eyes immediately flicked down to your stomach, as if looking for any sign. 

“You’re…” He murmured. The next thing you knew, Arthur was on his feet, pulling you in for a tight hug. “Oh darlin’. I can’t believe… I’m so happy…” He mumbled, voice cracking with emotion. Behind you, Charles whooped and hollered again before coming in to join you, hugging you and Arthur tightly. You breathed in deeply, taking in their scent. 

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a fath--” 

“I promise I’ll be a good fath--” Arthur and Charles spoke at the same time, and then they both froze, realizing the implications. Only one of them would be the child’s blood father, and your complicated relationship was about to get even more so. 

“Oh…” Arthur said quietly. 

“Now I see why you were scared…” Charles whispered. The three of you sat down on the dirt, and you leaned back against the log, pulling your knees to your chest. You nodded. 

“Do you know… who the father is?” Arthur asked hesitantly. 

“How would I?” You said, a little fiercer than you meant to. You scrubbed your face with your hands. “No. You’re both just as likely.” You said quietly. 

The three of you were quiet for a moment, the two men processing the news and running over thoughts and plans in their minds. 

“How do you want to do this?” Charles finally asked, resting his hand on your knee. You looked up at him, and your heart cracked a little. 

“I don’t know,” you whimpered, burying your face in your folded arms, tears welling up once more. 

“Hey, hey, easy now,” Arthur soothed, scooting closer. You heard Charles scooting up to your other side, and two sets of arms wrapped around you. 

“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” Charles soothed. 

“I just… I’m just…” You hiccuped, taking in a few deep breaths to steady yourself. “When the baby comes, it’ll be obvious who the father is,” You whimpered. “But I… I don’t want this baby to only have one father.” you said, your heart finally telling your brain what it wanted. “I don’t want this to break us all apart, I want it to make us stronger.” you said, looking between the two of them. “I don’t want to raise this baby without either of you.” You whimpered. Arthur and Charles exchanged glances. 

“Well… it still probably wouldn’t be the most unorthodox part of our relationship.” Charles said. 

“We’ve made it all work before. I’m sure we could do it again.” Arthur said. 

“Really?” you mewled, looking between them. They both gave you reassuring smiles. 

“Really.” Charles said. “If you want us all to make it work, we’ll make it work.” 

“What about the gang? And the Law? And the Pinkertons? And… and…” 

“Shhhh.” Arthur soothed gently. “That’s a lot of big decisions for one night, sweetheart.” He said. But you could feel the tension in his shoulders. You all knew that the decision regarding staying in the gang would come down to him. You and Charles could leave at any time. It was him who always had trouble with that choice. 

“We have some time to think about all that.” Charles agreed. “For now lets… I wanna just be happy.” Charles said. You smiled and nodded, wiping your eyes. 

“Me too.” you giggled. Arthur nuzzled his face against your cheek and pulled you onto his lap before laying down with you on top of him. Charles crawled alongside the two of you and lounged alongside you. You reached out and rested a hand on Charles’ cheek.

“I love you,” You whispered. “Both of you. So much.” 

“We love you too, darlin’.” Arthur murmured, pressing his lips to the top of your head. 

“No matter what happens, whatever this change brings us, we’ll always love each other.” Charles assured you. You were all quiet for a moment, taking in each other’s presence. 

“I’m sorry for scaring you earlier,” you whispered. “It was just... so much going through my head.” 

“That was an overwhelming secret to keep,” Charles soothed, running a hand up and down your back. 

“Enough to drive anyone a little crazy,” Arthur agreed. 

Charles’ eyes kept flicking down to your midsection, and Arthur’s hand kept stroking your side. You chuckled quietly and slid off of Arthur so that you were lying on your back, squished between them. Both men immediately rested a hand over your stomach, as if on impulse, trying to feel the little life that was still too small to register. But you didn’t tell them that. You let them have their moment.

Arthur let out a little grunt and rolled onto his side, leaning over you slightly. You met his gaze and saw the emotions flickering through his eyes. You knew he was thinking about Eliza and Isaac, his family that never was. As his hand softly stroked your stomach, his brow creased with worry. 

“Hey,” You murmured, reaching a hand up to cup his face. “That’s not going to happen again,” You assured him. Arthur closed his eyes, leaning into your touch. He sighed and shook your head. 

“Course not. I ain’t making the same mistakes again,” He replied, and his shoulders almost seemed to drop as the weight of his decision was lifted. “I’m going to do right by you. By both of you,” he glanced between you and Charles. Then his eyes fell back to where his and Charles’ hands rested on your stomach. “By all of you.” He amended. 

“We’ve all lived tough lives,” Charles added. “But I think we’re all ready to start living good ones.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You woke up the next morning to Arthur and Charles murmuring quietly between themselves. You cracked an eye to look at them. They were sitting on a log across the fire, holding hands, foreheads knocked against each other, talking quietly. You could just barely make out what they were saying. 

“...agree with her, I don’t want this to separate us.” Charles murmured. 

“Neither do I. But it ain't gonna be easy.” Arthur replied. 

“Nothing in our relationship ever has been,” Charles replied. Arthur hummed in agreement. “I want us all to do this together. We’re a family. I love both of you so much.” 

“I love you both too,” Arthur said, nodding slowly. He cupped Charles’ hand in both of his and hung his head. It was silent for a moment, and then. “We’ll have to leave the gang.” He said quietly. Charles watched him, eyes swimming with emotion. He pressed a kiss to the side of Arthur’s head and closed his eyes, knowing exactly how much that hurt Arthur. 

Quietly you stood up and walked toward them. Charles opened his eyes, hearing you approach with ease, but your bare feet were quiet on the grass, and Arthur didn’t realize you were there until you were kneeling in front of him, resting your hands on his knee. His head snapped up, eyes meeting yours immediately. 

“I’m sorry, Arthur,” you whispered, voice hoarse with tears. You felt incredibly guilty, putting him in this position. The gang was his family, his life. You hated the thought that you were coming in between that. You buried your face against his thigh. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I...” you couldn’t find the words to express what you wanted to say. You just sobbed into the fabric of his trousers.

“Hey, hey,” Arthur soothed, hand coming down to cup your cheek and tilt your head up to look at him. “None of that, darlin’.” He murmured. “It ain’t like you made the choice,” he said, giving you a crooked grin. “We all had a part to play.” 

“I... I never meant to take you from the gang...” you hiccuped. “I don’t want you to feel you have to... I know I said I want both of you in this with me, but... I don’t want you to feel obligated--” 

“Shh, darlin’,” He said quietly, carefully pulling you up onto his lap, arms wrapping around your waist. “You ain’t forcing me to do anything. I always knew we’d probably have to leave the gang eventually, find some peace somewhere, just the three of us. I just...” He sighed. “I just thought we had more time.” 

“I’m sorry,” You whimpered again. Arthur shook his head. 

“Stop it. You ain’t got nothing to be sorry for.” He said fiercely. “Look at me,” He said as you ducked your head. You met his gaze. “I love you. I love you, and Charles and...” He paused, hand resting over your stomach. “And the kid. I’d do anything for you all, and I’d do it gladly.” he wrapped his other arm around Charles, pulling him close so he could hold his family close to him. “It’s time I find my own place in the world.” He said. 

“Where will we go?” You asked, wiping your eyes. 

“We’ll find our own scratch of land somewhere,” Arthur said. “Maybe have a little farm.” 

“We could breed horses,” Charles suggested. “Breed them and train them. There’s good money in that if you’re good with horses.” 

“That would be wonderful,” you gasped, a whole new world opening up before you. The three of you were some of the best horse people in camp. It would be perfect. Arthur smirked and pressed a kiss to your cheek. 

“So long as we’re together, I figure we’ll be alright.” he said. 

“Oh Arthur,” You whispered, tears spilling freely once more, happy ones this time. You buried your face against his shoulder. 

“Jesus, I’ve never seen you cry so much,” Arthur teased, rubbing your back soothingly. 

“They do say pregnant women are more emotional,” Charles chuckled, taking your hand in his. 

“Shut up,” You mumbled. Arthur shook with silent laughter. 

“I thought you’d been a bit emotional the last couple days.” He teased. Without lifting your head, you slapped his other shoulder lightly. 

“At least you aren’t feeling sick like yesterday,” Charles remarked. 

“Don’t say that, you’ll jinx it,” You grumbled, lifting your head to give Charles a playful glare. He chuckled and leaned forward, gently wiping the tears from your cheeks. 

“Sorry, love,” He apologized, voice tinged with laughter. The three of you were quiet for a moment, just taking in the moment. 

“What do we do next?” You asked finally. 

“Well...” Arthur said, sighing. “I s’pose we tell Dutch and Hosea, and start looking for our horse ranch.” 

“I’ve got a bit of money set aside,” Charles added, “Not enough to buy a ranch but... it’s a start.” 

“Me too,” 

“Same here,” You said. “But I guess first we have to face the others.” You said. 

“In a bit,” Arthur sighed, “For now, let's just... sit.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late afternoon before you arrived back in camp. You’d meant to be back sooner, but your stomach had started doing flips and you knew you couldn’t ride until it settled. The three of you spent the day relaxing in the meadow, with you occasionally rushing over to the bushes to throw up. 

But finally, as the sun was beginning to dip in the sky, you made it back to camp. Camp was quiet, some of the men off on jobs, but those who were in camp lounged around, enjoying a lazy afternoon. Even Mrs. Grimshaw seemed to be relaxing some, letting the girls slack off a little. She gave you a sympathetic look as Charles helped you down off your horse, knowing the last 24 hours had been rough on you. 

Hosea and Dutch sat just inside Dutch’s tent, chatting away. Hosea glanced your way when you rode in. You watched his face grow serious as he took the three of you in. Ever perceptive, he could see something was going on. Dutch picked up on the change in Hosea, following his gaze toward the three of you. 

“Guess we’re telling them now,” You said, setting your hat on a hay bale. 

“Let me do the talkin’,” Arthur said. You and Charles nodded. It made the most sense. He had the most credibility in the camp. He was like Dutch and Hosea’s son. He should be the one to tell them. Charles took your hand and squeezed it as you followed Arthur over. 

“What’s wrong?” Dutch asked as you approached. “You three look like children about to tell their parents you smashed the window.” 

“Here, dear girl,” Hosea said, handing you his canteen. “You look white as a sheet.” You took the canteen gratefully, taking a swig of the cool water. You were sure you looked a fright. You were nervous enough you thought you might faint, and you were probably dehydrated from puking your guts out over the last couple of days. 

“We need to talk to you both,” Arthur said quietly. You glanced around, suddenly very aware of how close everyone else in camp was. Horseshoe Overlook suddenly felt very small. You weren’t sure you wanted everyone to hear this conversation. Hosea caught on to this immediately. 

“How about we all go for a stroll,” He suggested. God bless Hosea. You could kiss the kind old man just about now. 

“Yes I think that might be best.” Dutch said, glancing between the three of you. 

“Come, dear girl,” Hosea said, holding out his arm for you like a proper gentleman. You gave him a grateful smile and rested your hand in the crook of his arm, letting him escort you out of camp. 

“Don’t forget your hat,” Charles said suddenly, grabbing your hat from where you’d set it down and carefully placing it on your head, making sure it sat straight. He was babying you already. You and he would have to have a talk later about that. But for now you let him. 

You and Hosea led the way, Charles walking just behind you, with Dutch and Arthur bringing up the rear. Javier asked where you all were going as you passed. Hosea pleasantly replied that it was such a lovely day for a walk. Something in the tone of his voice stopped Javier from questioning it further. 

Hosea rambled pleasantly as the five of you walked out of camp and down the path. You weren’t sure what he was saying, but you were grateful that he was covering what would surely be an awkward silence. As you reached the bottom of the slope, you could feel your heart in your throat.

“Do you need to sit down?” Charles asked quietly. You shot him a look. 

“I’m fine,” you replied. 

“You do look quite pale, dear girl.” Dutch said, brow furrowed with concern. “I know you were unwell yesterday. You shouldn’t push yourself if you’re still feeling out of sorts.”

“Here, let’s sit on that rock just over there,” Hosea suggested. “It’s nice and shady there.” You nodded and let Hosea steer you toward a large boulder that sat among a grove of trees. You and Hosea sat on the rock. Dutch lit a cigar and took a drag from it before getting down to business.

“What’s going on here?” Dutch asked, turning to Arthur. Poor Arthur, having to face Dutch like this. He kept his face neutral, but you could see he was nervous in the way his hands wouldn’t settle on his belt, the way he shifted from foot to foot. You couldn’t put this all on him. 

“I’m pregnant,” You blurted out. Dutch turned to face you, blinking at you in shock. His eyes flicked between you, Charles and Arthur, quickly catching up on the situation, realizing the implications, the variables. Arthur gave you a grateful look, then turned back to Dutch. 

“She’s pregnant,” He confirmed. Hosea patted your hand soothingly, giving you a comforting, fatherly smile. He didn’t seem at all surprised by the news. Sly old fox probably knew the moment you were sick. Nothing got by Hosea.

“Who’s the father?” Dutch asked, glancing between Charles and Arthur. 

“Could be either of us,” Arthur shrugged, “You know we ain’t got the most... orthodox relationship.” 

“No,” Dutch said carefully, “But I assumed…” He paused, choosing his words. “I don’t know what I assumed. That you’d at least have the sense to be careful about such things.” 

“Dutch,” Hosea interjected, keeping his voice polite, though you caught the hidden tone that lay beneath the surface. “You know there’s always a risk when love-making is involved.” He said. You felt your cheeks flush slightly. It suddenly felt like you were talking about sex with your father, and it was horribly uncomfortable. You fiddled with your skirt. Charles put a hand on your shoulder. 

“As far as we’re concerned,” Charles said, “We’re both the fathers.” Dutch turned his focus on you. You were afraid he was going to yell at you for being irresponsible. For doing this to two of his best guns. You were surprised to see only kindness in his face.

“Are you going to stay with the gang?” He asked gently, “We made room for one child, I’m sure we can make room for another. Young Jack would love it.” You swallowed, your throat feeling dry. 

“No, Dutch,” You said. “I can’t... I can’t be a mother and an outlaw at the same time.” You took a deep breath. “I won’t leave immediately but... before the baby is born I expect I’ll be gone.”

“Alright.” He said evenly, taking your hand and patting it gently. “I can’t say I’m pleased to see one of my best gunslingers go, but I understand.” Dutch wasn’t nearly as upset as you thought he’d be. You were taken aback. Dutch turned back to Arthur. ”What’s the plan, then? Is Charles going to take her away to some little cabin? You’ll visit every few months, like Eliza and Isaac?” He asked. You, Charles and Arthur all jolted at the mention of Arthurs late son. 

It hit you suddenly why Dutch was so calm about the situation. He didn’t expect Arthur to leave the gang. In his defense, twice in Arthur’s life a woman had come along and given him a reason to leave, and he’d chosen the gang. The evidence suggested Arthur would stay no matter what. You tensed, grabbing Hosea’s arm on instinct. Hosea patted your hand reassuringly, letting you know he was following the same train of thought. 

“No,” Arthur said. “I’ve learned from my mistakes.” 

“Well,” Dutch chuckled, “Clearly you haven’t or you wouldn’t...” you could practically see that last piece fall into place. He looked between you and Arthur once more. “You’re... not leaving with them, are you?” Arthur was quiet, meeting Dutch’s gaze. “Arthur,” He said, shocked. “I can’t believe you’d be so... disloyal.”

“Disloyal?” Arthur asked, an edge to his voice. “Dutch, I’ve given you everything. I’ve been loyal to you for twenty years of my life.” 

“Arthur... See reason.” Dutch said, “Eventually the child’s father will become obvious." Dutch pointed out. “What if you give up your family, and the child isn’t even yours?” 

"With all due respect, Dutch" you said, speaking up. "It's not about who the father is, it's about how this baby fits into our relationship. It's never been about me and one of them or the other. Our relationship has always been the three of us loving each other equally. One day it will probably be obvious who the child's blood is. But both of them are already the child's father." 

Dutch gaped at you, speechless for the first time since you’d met him. He looked between you and Arthur for a moment.

“I’m going with them, Dutch,” Arthur said firmly. You saw Dutch bristle visibly. 

“Come,” Hosea said quietly, standing and helping you up. “I think this discussion is best left between them,” 

“I don’t... wanna leave him,” You said hesitantly. 

“I know, dear girl, but they need to talk this out. We’ll only be intruding.” Hosea said gently, leading you away “I’ll talk to them both later,” He added quietly, for only you to hear. You watched over your shoulder and where Arthur and Dutch were standing. Both seemed to be waiting for you all to leave. You met Arthurs gaze, and he nodded at you, giving you a quick, reassuring smile. You hated leaving him to talk to Dutch alone, but if it was what he wanted, you’d go back to camp with Hosea. 

“You’re doing the right thing,” Hosea said once you were out of earshot of Arthur and Dutch. “All of you,” He said, looking between you and Charles. “This is no life for a family. You know I’ve been working on getting John and his lot out for years.” 

“You’re not... mad?” You asked hesitantly. 

“Mad?” Hosea asked. “Quite the contrary, I’ve never been happier.” You gave him a funny look. “My dear, it’s no secret that Arthur is like a son to me. You think I’d be mad that he’s finally found people he loves, who love him back? You think I’d be mad that he’s finally settling down, having a family, as unorthodox as it may be?” He chuckled. “Dear girl, I’m thrilled.” He said, the three of you stopping just outside of camp. 

“I’ve never really had the chance to say...” Hosea said, his face warming with nostalgia, “But I think you two are really good for Arthur. You’ve changed that boy in more ways than one. And now,” Hosea glanced down at your stomach, then back up at you. “Now he has a reason to leave the gang. Willingly. Maybe I’m an old hypocrite, but I’ve always hoped the three of you would leave the gang. Do what Bessie and I couldn’t.” Hosea gave you a fatherly hug. “So yes, I’m thrilled. Over the moon.” 

“Thank you, Hosea,” You said, hugging him back fiercely and doing your best to keep your emotions in check. 

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Hosea said as he pulled back. “I’ll talk to Dutch tonight, and Arthur tomorrow. See where they both stand and see what can be done to keep it from turning into a big drama.” Hosea gave your arm one last pat, clapped Charles on the shoulder, then turned and walked the rest of the way into camp. You and Charles stood out where you were. 

“Do you want to go rest by the fire?” Charles asked gently. You shook your head. “We’re waiting here for Arthur then?” He asked again. You nodded. Charles sat down, leaning against a tree and gently pulled you down between his legs so that your back was pressed against his chest. He wrapped his arms around you and held you close, nuzzling his face into your neck. 

“Are you cold?” He asked after a little while, rubbing his hands up and down your arms. “I’ll go and get your jacket. No wait... I don’t want to leave you out here alone... Javier!” Charles called over his shoulder, knowing Javier was likely nearby, still on guard duty. 

“Oh please don’t tell me you’re going to be like this for the next few months,” You sighed, unable to hide the amusement in your voice. 

“Like what?”

“Overprotective. Worried about everything.” You teased. “I’m not glass. I won’t break, you know.” you said, turning your head so you could plant a kiss on his cheek. Charles was quiet for a moment, then you felt a chuckle rumble through his chest. 

“I’m sorry. I guess I have been fussing a little bit.” He admitted. “I just... want to take care of you.” He said. 

“And that’s fine. Just... just let me still be me.” You asked. He nodded. You saw a figure coming up the path, but you knew just from their stride that it was Dutch, not Arthur. He passed you without a word, lost in his own head, puffing on a fresh cigar. You glanced down the road, but didn’t see Arthur just yet.

“Did you guys need something?” Javier’s voice came behind you. You glanced over to see him striding over, gun in hand. 

“Sorry Javier. Charles is just being a mother hen.” You said, giving Charles a playful look. He chuckled and shook his head. 

“Are you guys okay?” Javier asked slowly, taking another step forward. “I know yesterday you weren’t feeling well. Then the three of you spent the night away from camp. You come back and everything seems so... tense.” 

You glanced back at Charles, not sure if you all were telling people yet. He looked just as unsure as you did. Fortunately you didn’t have to make the choice. 

“She’s pregnant.” Arthur’s voice caught your attention. You saw him walking up the path, looking a little irritated, but smiling when he saw you and Charles. 

“Oh!” Javier said, shocked. He looked down at you. “Congratulations?” He said hesitantly. You nodded. “Congratulations!” He said, more confidently. He glanced between Arthur and Charles. “Who... you know what, that’s not my business. Congratulations you three.” He smiled widely. “I’d better get back to guard duty.” He said, giving you a friendly two-finger salute before walking back into the trees. 

Arthur sat down next to you and Charles, and you immediately took his hand. No one said a word for a minute, letting Arthur process everything. You knew he’d talk when he was ready. Charles sighed and snuggled you closer to him, trailing kisses along the back of your neck. For such a stoic man, he really could be so soft and affectionate. 

“Dutch ain’t happy,” Arthur sighed, striking a match on his boot and lighting a cigarette.

“Well we figured he wouldn’t be,” you said slowly. Arthur nodded.

“Yeah. Guess I just kind of hoped...” He paused and shook his head. “Don’t matter.” 

“Is he going to let you go?” Charles asked quietly. Arthur gave him a look. 

“Course he is. It’s not like I’m forced into this. Anyone in the gang can leave any time they want to. Don’t mean he likes it.” 

“I’m sorry, Arthur,” You said gently. 

“I told you to stop apologizing.” He huffed. He spread his legs open and you shifted from Charles’ lap to his, snuggling back against Arthur’s chest. “You’re giving me the world. I could never be mad at you for that. None of this is your fault, and you’ve got nothing to feel sorry for.”

“I know,” you sighed. “I just can’t help feeling guilty.” Arthur just sighed and snubbed out his cigarette on the grass, pulling you even tighter against him and nuzzling his face against your neck. 

“Are you cold, darlin’? Charles, go get her jacket.” Arthur said. Charles moved beside you to stand up. 

“Stop!” You laughed, squirming out of Arthur’s grasp and kneeling on the grass between them, facing them both. “I love you both, and I appreciate you looking after me, but I’m a big girl. I don’t need to be coddled.” You said firmly. “If I’m cold, I’ll tell you, or better yet, I’ll go get my own jacket. When I need your help, I’ll ask.” You assured them, resting your hands on their knees. 

“Sorry,” Arthur said, ducking his head and laughing slightly. 

“We can’t help it. We just love you too much.” Charles said, scooting over and pulling you to sit between him and Arthur. You kissed Charles’ cheek, then Arthurs. 

“Well I appreciate it. But have you ever known me to sit back and let others do things for me?” Both men shook their heads. “Unless one of you wanna be the one who has to push this baby out one day?” You teased, and both of them laughed and shook their heads, “Yeah figures. Men. You’re always willing to help with the easy stuff, but when it comes down to the hard work...” you trailed off, a cold fear gripping your stomach. As the reality of the situation began to set in, you couldn’t help but feel terrified at the work you’d have to do some months down the road. 

“Darlin’?” Arthur asked quietly, sensing your mood change. 

“Hey, that’s months off still,” Charles soothed you, seeing the fear cross your face. 

“I know,” you said quietly. “But still I... Even if everything goes right, that's still just... I’m terrified.” You admitted quietly. Charles knocked his head against yours, and Arthur wrapped his arms around you. 

“Hey, none of that,” He said firmly. “None of that ‘if everything goes right.’ It’s all going to be fine.” He said. You knew he couldn’t promise that. You knew all the dangers that came with giving birth. But you did take some comfort in his words. You grabbed his hand and squeezed it, and he brought your joined hands to his lips, kissing your fingers. 

“I can’t even imagine how daunting this all is for you,” Charles murmured. “I know there’s not much we can do to help. Maybe that’s why we want to take care of you, spoil you a little. It’s all we can really do.” He said. You nodded in understanding. “But we’ll reign it in a little. Just... let us know what you do need from us.” He said. 

“Just... for now just hold me,” You said quietly. Without another word, two sets of strong arms wrapped around you, squeezing you in a secure hug. Wrapped in their arms, you felt safe, secure. It didn’t take away the fear at what was to come, but it did help you to feel a little better. 

“There they are!” You heard Karen yell. You looked behind you to see Abigail, Karen, Sean, and Uncle all rushing toward you. 

“Sean just told us... is it true?” Abigail asked, eyes shining with excitement. You chuckled and shook your head. Nothing stayed a secret around here. 

“How in the hell did Sean find out?” Charles growled, staring Sean down. 

“Ah, I heard you hollar for Javier. Came over to see if something was wrong. I heard you tell ‘im.” Sean shrugged. 

“So? Is it true?” Karen demanded. You sighed and looked at Arthur and Charles, then looked back to your friends. You nodded. 

A cheer went up among them. Abigail ran toward you, sliding through the grass on her knees and hugging you tightly. You laughed and hugged her back. 

“Well I think this calls for a celebration!” Uncle cheered. 

“You think everything calls for a celebration, you old waste of space.” Arthur grumbled. 

“Now how can you be so sour, today of all days?” Uncle scolded Arthur. “You’re gonna be a father! Let’s celebrate!” Before you knew it, the three of you were being pulled to your feet. Abigail had a friendly arm around your waist, guiding you into camp and giving you all sorts of tips she’d learned, things you didn’t quite understand. Karen cuffed Arthur over the head for being a grump, and Sean was making some inappropriate joke at Charles. 

As your little group neared camp, Mary Beth and Tilly came racing up to you. 

“We just heard from Pearson! Is it true?” Mary Beth asked, grabbing your hands, practically vibrating with excitement. 

“Now how the hell did Pearson find out?!” You exclaimed. 

“He was grumbling about how he knew it weren’t his stew that made you sick. We pestered him until he told us what he heard Sean telling the others. So it’s true?” 

“It’s true,” you confirmed. Before you knew what was happening, Tilly and Mary Beth were dragging you across camp, Karen and Abigail following gleefully. The men in camp gathered around Arthur and Charles, patting them on the back, and ribbing them good-naturedly. 

Mrs. Grimshaw caught your eye from across camp, silently asking if you needed rescuing. You just shook your head and smiled at her. Her usual frown slowly spread into a grin, and she followed the rest of the girls over to the main campfire. 

You were pushed to sit down in the best chair and fussed over for a moment before the girls settled around the fire next to you and began asking you questions you had no answers for. Even Molly was hovering nearby, not comfortable with joining in, but curious nonetheless. When did it happen? How far along are you? Do you have any names yet? Did you want a boy or girl? 

“I don’t know,” You said firmly, for what felt like the hundredth time. “I only just figured out myself yesterday.” you laughed. The rest of the gang was starting to gather. Arthur and Charles came up on either side of you, both flushed a little with embarrassment, but also looking so proud and happy. 

“So which one’s the father?” Karen asked bluntly. Everyone fell silent, giving her a look. “What? We’re all thinkin’ it.” She’d clearly had a couple to drink already. All eyes turned back to you. 

“They both are.” You said firmly. Everyone blinked, taking in that information. 

“That ain’t how it works!” Sean exclaimed. Hosea walked up behind him, cuffing him upside the head. “Ow! Well it ain’t.” He grumbled. “...is it?” He asked hesitantly. 

“It doesn’t matter to me who the baby's blood is,” You cut in. “Both of them are the baby's father.” You said. You felt two hands come down on your shoulder, and you could just imagine the looks Charles and Arthur were likely giving the rest of the gang, daring them to contradict you. 

“Well,” Dutch’s voice broke through the crowd. You tensed as you looked over to Dutch’s tent. He stood just inside the tent, watching the scene unfolding. “I’d say that’s enough probing questions for the night. We all know these three don’t have a conventional relationship, but they’re our family, and we’re going to celebrate their joy with them.” He said. “Mr. Pearson, break out the drinks!” He called, and everyone cheered. “Congratulations, you three, on your joyous news.” 

You gave Dutch a grateful smile. He just nodded his head once, raising his cigar in a sort of toast, before bringing it back to his lips. Dutch would never cease to amaze you. You knew he wasn’t happy, knew he wasn’t going to let Arthur leave the gang without trying to charm him into staying. But you appreciated the gesture nonetheless. 

Micah and Bill begrudgingly took over guard duty from Javier and John. Micah muttered something about not wanting to celebrate some weird polygamist family anyway. Bill was mostly just mad about not being able to drink with the rest. 

Javier immediately grabbed his guitar and sat at the main campfire, starting in on singing for the party. John wandered over toward you, beer already in hand.

“So... what’s going on? What are we celebrating?” He asked. You and Charles turned to Arthur, giving him an expectant smile. Arthur sighed and opened his mouth, but was stopped by Jack racing between him and John, bee-lining for you. 

“Look, I made this for you,” He said, holding out a flower crown for you. 

“Thank you, Jack, it’s beautiful.” You said, bending down so he could place the crown on your head. 

“When will the baby be here?” Jack asked excitedly. “I can’t wait to play with them!”

“Baby?” John asked, looking thoroughly confused. 

“Oh, not for a while yet, Jack. And it’ll be even longer before they’re big enough to play with.” 

“Aww.” Jack pouted. “I want someone to play with.” 

“I’m sorry, buddy,” You said. “But once they are big enough, you two can play all day.” You said. Jack brightened up. 

“Okay. I guess I can wait.” He exclaimed, racing off. 

“He's gonna be askin’ you every day when the baby will get here.” Abigail laughed, walking up alongside John. 

“What baby?!” John asked, looking confused as hell, and a little panicked. He glanced down at Abigail's stomach for a moment. 

“Her baby, you fool,” Abigail scoffed, gesturing to you. “That’s what we’re celebrating. They’re having a baby.” 

“Oh,” John sighed, looking relieved. He was a little slow on the take, but he meant well. “Oh. Well congratulations!” He said, giving you a big smile. “Wait a second...” John narrowed his eyes at Arthur. “You got something to say to me?” He asked. 

“Should I?” Arthur asked, raising his eyebrow. 

“Well you’ve only spent the last couple of years berating me endlessly for getting someone pregnant. Acting like it’s the dumbest thing I ever coulda done. But here you are in the same situation.” 

“‘Cept I ain’t gonna run off for a year and leave her alone with the baby.” Arthur growled. 

“Woah, okay,” You said, standing up and sliding in front of Arthur, pushing against his chest gently.

“Can’t you two just stop it for one night?” Abigail huffed, dragging John back a few steps. 

“Hackles down, boys.” You teased. Charles grabbed Arthur’s hand and squeezed it, gently tugging him back a couple steps. . 

John grumbled for a minute, and he looked ready to stomp off. He glanced over his shoulder, and his face softened slightly when he looked at you. 

“Congratulations, missy,” He said politely. “I’m real happy for you. For all of you.” He said. Abigail patted his arm and guided him away from Arthur before the two could get into it again. 

“Am I going to have to sit on you to keep you from having a go at Marston?” You huffed. Arthur gave you a wicked grin. 

“Well, give it a try, let’s see if it helps.” He said, sitting down in the chair and pulling you onto his lap. You giggled and snuggled up against him. Charles pulled up a stool next to the two of you, sitting close to Arthur. 

The rest of the evening was spent celebrating, the rest of the gang partying long into the night. You felt exhausted after everything that had happened, and the three of you turned in early, long before the party in your honor had ended. No one seemed to mind.


	2. I Feel My Home Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Charles work hard to find a home for Reader and their budding family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the most exciting chapter I've ever written, but I didn't feel like I could skip over this information with a quick summary. 
> 
> I hope y'all like it though. 
> 
> Please follow my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/12timetraveler) @12timetraveler to make requests, see teasers, and just generally geek out with me. 
> 
> Requests are always welcome  
> Kudos bring me joy  
> Comments feed my soul

Arthur and Charles got right to work immediately, trying to find a plot of land for the three of you to start anew. Something you could afford, seeing as three wanted criminals couldn’t just go out and get a bank loan for some property. Your bounties were far too high. Wherever you found to settle, you’d have to have the total cost up front. 

Between earning money and searching for your new home, all while still having to work jobs for the gang, Charles and Arthur were gone from camp a lot. Sometimes it would be days in between seeing either of them. When they were in camp, they tried to wait on you hand and foot, but you wouldn’t let them, feeling like you were enough of a burden. You hated that you couldn’t be out there with them, but you knew why.

You all agreed that you shouldn’t be going out on jobs anymore, now that you were expecting. As much as you hated it, you knew you couldn’t risk anything happening to the baby. You became the primary hunter for the gang, bringing in meat for the pot and pelts to sell. Though you did keep a few pelts for yourself to sell and bring in more money. Hunting brought you some serenity, and you loved riding out every day to find rabbits and deer.

That is, on days you weren’t too busy puking your guts out in the bushes. You had assumed morning sickness only took place in the morning, like the name implied. You were quick to find out how wrong you were. Some mornings you’d wake up feeling perfect, and by lunch you were losing your stomach in the bushes. 

As weeks went on, your stomach did seem to settle some, and you had less morning sickness. You were able to help out around camp more, becoming the go-to gun cleaner, as you were the most thorough, knowing first-hand how important it was. You were able to put up with being confined to the camp, for the most part. Though some days were easier than others.

When you became particularly restless, Hosea would take you into town and have you help with work low-risk con jobs. You probably would have lost your mind if he hadn’t. You craved that thrill of knowing you were outsmarting some unsuspecting fool. It also kept your mind occupied.

It didn’t help that because the chores you were doing allowed for wandering minds, you began coming up with worst-case scenarios for what could be happening to your men without you to take care of them. When a few days would pass without Arthur and Charles, your mind would immediately jump to the worst possible outcome. That they’d been killed or captured. Hurt or lost. 

They were gone for a week once, and you became so distressed, unable to sleep, or concentrate on anything, that the others began to worry for you. Hosea sent Javier out to find them after day 5. He came back two days later having had no luck. 

When they did finally come back, Abigail stopped them the moment they dismounted, voice low so as not to catch your attention from where you were resting in your tent. She’d dragged them back out of camp and scolded them thoroughly for leaving you so long. Explained how you’d been acting, how you’d been worrying and stressing.

When she’d finally released them, and they’d come to the tent, you’d burst into tears at the sight of them. Charles had immediately pulled you into his arms, holding you close while you cried. Arthur had stood there awkwardly for a moment, looking heartbroken before sitting down on the bedrolls next to you and wrapping his arms around both you and Charles. Once you’d settled down some, the three of you sat in a circle on the ground to talk. 

“I know why you’re out there,” You explained, feeling incredibly silly at your reaction. “I know why you’re working so hard. For all of us to have a different life. But I can’t help but worry when you’re gone for so long.” 

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” Arthur murmured sincerely, reaching out to pull you into his lap. Charles sat next to him, draping your legs across his own lap and stroking your legs soothingly. You felt so dumb for being upset over it. So selfish. But you couldn’t just lie to them and pretend you were fine. They could see you weren’t. 

“I’m so grateful for what you’re doing. Really. I don’t know why I’m getting so upset. I just... When you’re gone my mind tends to imagine the worst things happening to you.” you fiddled with your skirt, feeling ashamed at complaining to them when they were both working so hard to find a home for you all. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t be saying this when you’re both working so hard to provide for our family. I just...” 

“Hey,” Charles murmured, waiting for you to look up at him. “You’re allowed to be upset,” He said, eyes locking on yours, not letting you look away. “I’m sorry we’ve been gone so much. We never mean to be.” 

“I think...” Arthur paused, thinking over his words before continuing. “I think maybe we’re so worried about getting us out of the life, we’ve let it take over a little,” Arthur said. Charles nodded in agreement. 

“How much do you sleep while you’re away?” You asked. Arthur and Charles exchanged glances, and that shared look was all you needed to know. They hardly were sleeping either. “See I don’t like that,” You said. “I don’t want you both killing yourselves trying to get us out of the gang. You need to sleep. You need to take care of yourselves too.” 

“We know, my love,” Charles sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“We’ll be smarter about this,” Arthur assured you. 

“Good,” You huffed. 

“How about you?” Charles asked. “How are you doing with all this? It can’t be easy staying in camp all the time.” 

“I’m fi...” You stopped, knowing it was useless to lie to them. “I’m still adjusting,” You said. “I’m used to being out there, right in the middle of the action with you, getting into trouble with you. Knowing where you are and that you’re safe and warm and...” You sighed. “I’m not used to being so... helpless. I’ve never been the woman at home before.” You said. Charles rubbed your legs sympathetically. Arthur knocked his head against yours. 

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” Arthur murmured. “I didn’t even think about that. I suppose if I’d been around maybe I would have noticed. Maybe... maybe you can come with us when we ride out next?” Arthur suggested. You shook your head. 

“No.” You sighed. “It’s better if I don’t. It was one thing when I was risking my own life. But if something happened to the baby...” You shook your head. “I can’t explain it but... I’m so protective already of this little life I haven’t even met yet. I don’t want to risk them.” 

“What can we do to help you?” Charles asked gently. You felt horrible even answering that question. They were already doing so much for you, running themselves ragged trying to find an out for you all. How could you ask anything more? You scrubbed your face with your hands, frustrated. 

“I think...” You huffed out a sigh. “I think I’m okay with the jobs I do now. I still get to ride out and go hunting. I still get to get my hands dirty. I think what makes it completely unbearable is that my mind can wander so much. I overthink and come up with all these horrible scenarios of things that could happen. When you’re gone for more than a day or two, it gets worse and worse. If you popped into camp to let me know you were okay, to sooth my mind, it would be easier.” You said. 

“I think we owe you that at least,” Arthur replied, pressing his lips to the side of your face. 

“At least,” Charles huffed. “We owe you more than that.” Arthur nodded in agreement. “I promise we won’t be gone more than a couple days at a time, and that we’ll be here with you more.” 

You sniffled and nuzzled your face against Arthur’s neck. You felt Charles lean over you and press his lips to your jaw for a moment before setting back where he was. It was quiet in your tent for a moment as you let your men hold you. God you had missed them so much. 

“Hey,” Arthur murmed after a minute. You hummed in response. “We’ve got a couple leads on some properties.” You sat up straight, looking between them. 

“Really?” You murmured. Charles nodded. 

“Arthur met a man who is selling property on behalf of a number of clients. He’s agreed to speak with Arthur about some of the land he’s selling. Arthur’s going to go talk to him tomo--”

“Day after tomorrow,” Arthur cut him off. “Tomorrow I’m gonna just stay here with you.” He said firmly. “That business man can wait. He’ll be in Strawberry for some time.” 

“Oh my god, Arthur that’s wonderful,” you sighed, hugging him tightly. “Where are they located?” You asked. Arthur chuckled and lay down on the bedroll, pulling you down with him. Charles lay beside you, snuggling close. 

“Well. One’s up in Ambarino, on the mountain, a little north of O’Creighs run. It doesn’t have a house... more like a shack. But it’s something at least.” He said. “Another... well... Mrs. Adler technically still owns her land. She offered to sell it to us cheap.”

“Not that there’s much there after Micah got his hands on it.” Charles huffed. 

“Then there’s a little homestead south of Strawberry.” Arthur continued. “A little close to Blackwater for my comfort, but I thought I’d at least take a look.” 

“The rest are out west.” Charles murmured. “The trick with those would be getting to them without going through Blackwater.” You hummed. That would be quite a task. 

“What do you think?” Arthur murmured. “Any of those catch your interest?” 

“I trust you,” you murmured, feeling a little sleepy, sandwiched between your men. “You’ll pick the perfect place for us. I know you will. Just... Somewhere peaceful. Where we can be ourselves, not have to spend the rest of our lives pretending we’re anything but a family.” 

The three of you drifted off to sleep quickly. It was the best night's sleep you’d had in weeks. Safe and secure between your men, knowing they were safe and warm and that you could protect them if it came down to it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

True to his word, Arthur had spent the next day in camp alongside you and Charles. Some of the others had tried to get them to go on jobs, but they refused, sticking to in-camp chores. That afternoon the three of you rode out hunting together, though you didn’t get very far before you decided to stop and just relax for a little while. 

Arthur fished along the shore of the river while you and Charles lounged under the shade of a tree a few feet away. You sat between Charles’ legs, head resting on his hip as he reclined against the tree. 

You stared down at your belly. It was just starting to slope outward. Only noticeable if you smoothed out your blouse. It could easily be mistaken for a little weight gain, or even a bad bloat. You were just over three months along, based on your math. You ran your hand down your stomach, tugging your blouse down gently.

“My god,” Charles breathed in, eyes locked on your tiny belly. “They’re really there.” 

“You thought I was lying?” You asked quietly, looking up at him. 

“No, of course not,” Charles assured you. “I just... I guess there was some part that wouldn’t quite grasp it until I saw but...” He leaned forward slightly and rested his hand flat over your belly, feeling the small but taut bump. His thumb gently rubbed back and forth for a moment. You watched a flurry of emotions flick across his face. You propped yourself up on your elbows and leaned up to kiss him. He bent over and met you half-way, kissing you so tenderly you wanted to cry. 

“I love you,” He murmured. You gave him another quick kiss before laying back down. 

“I love you too,” You replied. 

The rest of the day was spent peacefully with your men.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early the next day Arthur left for Strawberry to go speak to the businessman to learn more about the properties and see if any of them would be the right fit. Charles stayed behind with you. He didn’t want to draw suspicion to Arthur. One cowboy looking for a ranch wasn’t suspicious. Two scarred, beefy outlaws may draw the eye a little more. 

Arthur returned just as the sun began to dip low in the sky. You were sitting near Abigail and Jack, cleaning the guns while Abigail sewed and Jack animatedly told you about the huge bird he’d seen that morning. You felt calmer than you had since you’d found out you were pregnant. Charles called your name, striding across camp toward you. 

“Arthur’s back. He’s found a place,” Charles said. You practically tossed aside the rifle you’d been cleaning, taking Charles’ hand and racing across camp with him. Arthur was speaking with John and Javier, but he stopped when he saw you hurrying over. 

“You found something?” You asked. He nodded. You squealed in delight and flung your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Where is it? Tell me everything.” You said excitedly. 

“It’s north of Strawberry, in Big Valley. A place called Hanging Dog Ranch.” He explained. “The previous owners were chased off some years back. It ain’t a palace, it’ll need a lot of work, but I got us a good price on it.” He glanced over at Javier and John. “I’ll need some help though.” He continued. “See... It was the O’Driscolls that chased off the previous owners of the ranch. The reason I got such a fair price was that I’d have to deal with them myself. I need some help clearing it out. Will you ride with me?” 

“Of course, brother.” Javier said without hesitation. John shrugged. 

“I won’t say no to a little scrap with the O’Driscolls.” John said nonchalantly. 

“What’s this about fightin’ those fake Irish bastards?” Sean asked, walking up. More of the camp was gathering around, listening to the news. 

“I’ll go with you, Arthur,” Lenny called. 

“I’m always ready ta rid the world of that slime,” Sean piped in. 

“You can count me in too,” Hosea said, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. Hosea hardly went out on jobs anymore, unless it was important. Arthur looked around at his friends gathered around, ready to help him like he always helped them. You watched him visibly push down his emotions at the sight. 

“Thank you, all of you,” He said, ducking his head slightly. “It shouldn’t be too hard to clear out. But I wanted numbers on my side.” 

“Now, Arthur, I don’t think any of us will pass up an opportunity to visit our old friends,” Dutch’s voice cut through the crowd. You watched nervously as he approached, not sure what he was going to do. But he seemed calm, even happy for Arthur. “Of course we’ll help, son,” Dutch said. Things had been tense between Arthur and Dutch the last few weeks. Civil, but tense. Hosea had been slowly working on Dutch, discussing the matter of Arthur leaving with him. It seemed maybe those late night talks were working. 

“Thank you, Dutch,” Arthur said, flashing him a grateful smile. You felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. Dutch seemed to have accepted the fact that Arthur was leaving. He didn’t have to be happy about it, but he was at least willing to help make sure Arthur was happy. You could hug Dutch, but you restrained yourself. 

“Come. Let’s discuss the plan,” Dutch said. Arthur and Hosea followed Dutch to his tent. Everyone else returned to what they had been doing before. You and Charles retired to your tent, waiting up for Arthur. 

It was near midnight when Arthur finally joined you in the tent. The moment he stepped in, you flung your arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as you could. You held him for who knows how long. No words had to be said, you just hugged him tightly. Eventually Arthur lay you down on your bedroll, and he and Charles sandwiched you between them for the night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early the next morning, the gang rode out to secure you your new home. Kieran, Micah and Bill were left behind to guard the camp (and Bill and Micah hadn’t really wanted to go on this job. Arthur said it was fine, he didn’t expect anyone to help that didn’t want to), but all the other guns in the gang were riding out. You stood nervously amongst the horses as everyone saddled up. Your friends all gathered, ready to fight for you and your family to have a home. You were beyond touched. You felt like you had to say something. Anything.

Using Charles’ shoulder as support, you climbed up onto a stack of hay bales. Charles grabbed your hand, watching you as you straightened up. You looked out over the gathering group, watched as they checked their guns, packed their bags, laughed and teased each other. You were grateful for every one of them. You cleared your throat. 

“Excuse me, everyone,” You called. Everyone fell silent, turning to give you their undivided attention. “I just... er... I wanted to thank y’all. Really it means a lot that you’re all willing to help us.” Arthur came up alongside you and grabbed your other hand, giving it a squeeze. “I just... thank you. From the bottom of my heart.” You said. 

“Of course, _chica,_ ” Javier called.

“You three do so much for us, it’s the least we can do,” Lenny added. 

“Here here!” Hosea called, and a cheer went up from the group. 

“Don’t you worry, Misus.” Dutch called, pulling himself up into his saddle. “We’ll clear those scum from your new farm so your growing family has somewhere safe to be.” Arthur and Charles helped you down from the hay bales as the rest of the gang began to mount up. 

“Ride safe, fight smart,” You said, giving Arthur a quick kiss, then Charles. “Come back safe.” you murmured. This was the first big job you were left out of since joining the gang. It felt strange not riding out with your men. Charles and Arthur reached down at the same time and each rested a hand over your belly. 

“Wouldn’t dream of letting anything happen,” Arthur assured you, giving you another quick kiss. 

“We’ll be back safe and sound before you know it,” Charles assured you, pulling you in for another kiss as well.

“I wish I was riding out with you,” you sighed. “But I trust you both. Stay safe, and get us our home.”

“We will,” Arthur said, letting you go and mounting your horse. Charles stayed by your side for a moment, his eyes meeting yours. 

“Would you rather I stay here with you?” He asked gently. You shook your head fervently. 

“No. I need you out there looking after our cowboy,” you said. “Usually I’m there yelling at him for being reckless. You’ll have to do that for me.” you instructed sternly. 

“Yes ma’am,” Charles said. With one last kiss to your cheek, Charles turned and mounted Taima. You approached Arthur, resting a hand on his knee as you looked up at him. 

“And you, look after him for me,” You said, nodding to Charles. “We both know how he likes to get up close and personal in a fight. Watch his back.” You said. 

“Of course,” Arthur said as Charles rode up on his other side. Charles leaned over and stole a quick kiss from Arthur. 

“We’ll be back before you know it,” Charles assured you. You pulled out a pair of sugar cubes from your pockets, feeding one to each of the horses. 

“Alright, boys, lets ride!” Dutch called. You stepped back as the gang let out hoots and hollers before taking off out of camp, adrenaline filling the air like it did before any job. You watched as your lovers and your friends rode out of camp, unable to move from where you stood until you could no longer hear the rumble of hoofbeats or the chorus of shouts. Even then, you couldn’t seem to drag your feet from where you stood. 

Mrs. Grimshaw wouldn’t hear of you being idle for the day. Not just for the sake of chores being done, but she wanted to make sure you were distracted and not torturing yourself waiting for your men to come back. Her first task for you was to go hunt a deer for supper, so that there was a good meal waiting for the others when they returned. 

You were easily able to pick up the tracks of the deer at the bottom of the slope. Pretty fresh too. They weren’t far. Crouching low, you carefully krept through the brush. All other thoughts moved to the back of your mind. The only thing you were concerned about was following this trail and catching some dinner. 

You tracked the game through the trees and over a slope. The herd was gathered near the burned down town of Limpany. You took a few deep breaths, steadying yourself and waiting for just the right time. One of the bucks looked up, sniffing the air for danger. You pulled the string back to your cheek, and loosed your arrow. It struck the buck right through the eye, killing it quickly and cleanly. 

The rest of the deer scattered as you approached your kill. It lay lifeless in the grass. A perfect shot. You were quite proud of yourself. Charles had taught you well. You pulled your arrow from the buck, wiping it clean on the grass before pulling out a bandana and wiping it clean. You tucked the arrow away with your other arrows and crouched down. 

“You ain’t supposed to lift heavy things when you’re pregnant, you know,” A female voice cut through the silence. You spun around, drawing your pistol from your hip. Mrs. Adler stood in front of you, hands raised in surrender. You took a deep breath and holstered your gun. 

“Mrs. Adler. I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you followin’ me.” You huffed. 

“I stayed back, and quiet. Didn’t wanna scare your game away.” She said, stepping forward. “I’ll carry it back to camp for you. You really shouldn’t be doin’ any heavy lifting.” She said, bending over and picking up your game, slinging it over her shoulder. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Adler,” You said as the two of you began walking back towards camp. 

“Please. It’s Sadie.” she huffed. 

“Alright. Well thank you Sadie.” You replied. “And thank you for... Arthur told me you offered to sell him your land.” 

“Figured y’all were looking,” Sadie said simply. “But maybe it’s better left alone.” She said sadly. 

“You’re not goin’ back?” You asked. You’d always kind of figured she’d go back and try to rebuild her life. 

“Would you?” She asked. You paused, thinking over her words. If someone came and killed your men, would you be able to stand living where they died. You shook your head. “‘Sides, that farm was Jakey’s dream,” She said, her voice cracking slightly. You nodded sympathetically. The two of you slowly began walking up the final slope toward camp. 

“What’re you gonna do then?” you asked. 

“I think I’ll run with the gang for a while,” Sadie admitted. “They’re gonna need a new lady gunslinger to show those boys up, now that you’re retiring.” She teased. You laughed. 

“Well, it’s a hard job, but someone’s gotta do it.” you teased. She chuckled. 

“Who’s that?!” Bill called. 

“Just me and Sadie,” You replied. “Back with some game for supper.” 

“Good,” Bill huffed. “I’ll admit, I... uh... well you and Charles are the best hunters in the camp. I’m gonna miss eatin’ game that ain’t full of bullets,” he said, ducking his head in embarrassment. 

“Bill Williamson, that may be the nicest thing I’ve ever heard you say to anyone,” You teased lightly. Sadie huffed a laugh and continued into camp with the big deer still slung over her shoulder. 

“Yeah, well don’t get used to it,” He grumbled. 

“I’ll keep it secret.” you assured him. He huffed out a little laugh and continued his path around camp. You followed Sadie into camp. 

“Beautiful kill as always, Missus,” Pearson complimented you as Sadie dumped the deer on his table. Before you could respond, Mrs. Grimshaw was shoving a gun in your hand. 

“Clean this, then you can start on the rest.” She said firmly. You nodded and sat at one of the tables, pulling out a rag and some gun oil and beginning to clean it. The other girls gathered around at the table, chatting and laughing away. You knew they were trying to keep you distracted as well.

Unfortunately, cleaning the gun didn’t keep your mind as occupied as hunting did. You found your mind wandering very quickly. Had the men made it to the ranch yet? It was probably too soon. Had they met any trouble along the way? You didn’t realize you’d stopped cleaning the gun until Grimshaw caught your attention. 

“Quit slacking, you lazy girl!” She barked. You quickly returned to cleaning the gun, but your mind quickly wandered again. “Useless!” Mrs. Grimshaw huffed. “Go help Mr. Pearson chop vegetables,” She instructed. You didn’t take her insults to heart. You knew she was still trying to keep you busy, stop you from going insane. 

As you began helping Mr. Pearson cut up the meat and vegetables for supper, the other girls gathered around and tried to distract you with gossip and stories. Even stil you found your mind wandering back to your men. The girls would try to bring you into the conversation, but you’d drift back out. It was Jack who finally saved you from yourself. 

“Will someone play with me please?” He asked, sounding bored out of his mind. It seemed silly, but maybe it would actually distract you. 

“‘What do you wanna play?” You asked, setting down what you were doing. The others seemed to catch on to your plan, and set down their chores as well. Mrs. Grimshaw had tasked them with distracting you, and if playing with Jack was what did it, they were going to help. 

“Hide-and-go-seek!” Jack said excitedly. You smiled. 

“Hide-and-go-seek it is,” You giggled. “Anyone else going to join us?” You asked. The other girls nodded. 

“Sure!” Tilly said.

“Yeah, I’ll play,” Karen ruffled Jack’s hair. Jack was positively beaming. Usually he was turned down for a game, since everyone was always busy. You glanced across camp where Uncle was dozing by one of the wagons. 

“Hey Uncle!” You hollered, snapping him out of his nap. “You wanna play hide-and-seek?” 

The rest of the afternoon was spent with a big game of hide-and-seek. Jack of course won most rounds of the game, and not all of those victories came from the adults letting him win. Sometimes he genuinely had the best hiding place. 

Uncle was the easiest to find, always settling into the easiest place to get into. Somewhere he could relax, even while hiding. Mrs. Grimshaw was a hide-and-seek expert, only ever losing if Jack was searching, when she went easy on him. The game quickly pulled your mind from your worries.

Before you knew it, a whole herd of hoofbeats could be heard coming up the path. Arthur and Charles led the way, looking very proud of themselves and grinning from ear to ear. You didn’t even have to ask how it went. You knew your home was secured. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh mountain air as you rode along the trail to your new home. Arthur led the way on his horse, with you just behind him on your own horse. Charles brought up the rear on Taima. The three of you rode along at a brisk walk, enjoying the scenery and just spending time together. 

Even though he had helped liberate your new home from the O’Driscolls, Dutch had been reluctant to let Arthur leave the gang even still. The two of them had argued the matter for days. Hosea had been forced to pull them apart on more than one occasion. 

Finally it was agreed that Arthur would ride with you and Charles to the ranch, help you all get settled, spend a week helping with any immediate repairs the house needed. But then he’d return to the gang for a few weeks. He was needed to help the gang move on. You knew it was Dutch’s way of trying to get Arthur alone to convince him to stay without you there as a reminder of what he was leaving for. But you trusted Arthur to stay true to his word, and return to you and Charles once he was satisfied that the gang would survive without him. 

You’d passed Wallace Station a few hours prior, and were now on the final stretch of your trek to Hanging Dog Ranch. You held the reins in one hand, your other hand resting over the small swell of your stomach, not yet big enough to be noticeable to those who didn’t know you were expecting. You were about 4 months along now, if your math was right, and you couldn’t seem to keep your hand off your belly some days. 

“We really ought to come up with a better name for the ranch,” You remarked, breaking the comfortable silence. Arthur glanced over his shoulder at you and slowed his horse so he was riding alongside you. 

“If you want to,” Arthur replied. 

“Well I mean... that name. ‘Hanging Dog’. Sounds so... ominous.” You said. 

“Fair enough,” Arthur chuckled. “Any ideas?” 

You hummed for a moment, thinking over what you would want to name it. Something with meaning. 

“I’m not sure yet,” you admitted. “Maybe inspiration will strike when we get there.” You looked out across Big Valley to your left. It was beautiful. A small little creek snaked through the meadow. Beautiful purple flowers filled the valley. It looked like a painting. 

“There it is,” Arthur said as you emerged from the trees. Before you stood your new home. The ranch certainly wasn’t anything fancy. It needed some serious repairs. But compared to the way you’d all been living, it may as well have been a palace. You could see some remnants of the O’Driscoll occupation. Arthur, Charles and the others had cleaned up what they could after clearing out the gang. But there were some broken wagons and scattered barrels. 

In the center of the property, two large bucks and a doe stood, grazing on the weeds in the yard. They looked up as you approached, and the three of you halted your horses. You were frozen in place, watching the deer as they watched you. Very slowly, the bucks moved to either side of the doe, ready to protect her if need be. 

You were unable to do anything but watch the deer, held transfixed in their gaze. Charles and Arthur seemed to be under the same spell, watching the deer with an awed reverence, though they’d hunted plenty of deer in their time. There was something different about the strange little herd that was grazing in your new home.

After a moment, one of the bucks nudged the doe’s side, and the three of them carefully walked across the property to a hole in the fence. They stepped over the fallen posts daintily before prancing off into the trees. 

“Three Deer Ranch,” Arthur murmured. You and Charles turned to look at him. “That's… maybe that's what we call the place.” He mumbled, shyly

“Three Deer Ranch. I like it.” You said, smiling. 

“It’s perfect,” Charles agreed. You urged your horses forward into a trot, riding through the front gate of Three Deer Ranch. Your new home. 

Up close, the ramshackle state of the farm was more apparent. There were bullet holes in the buildings, dry blood pools in the dirt. The entire property was in disarray. But it was yours. A ranch house and a huge barn and a little shed. It all belonged to you and your husbands. You could do whatever you wanted with it.

You felt like a child at Christmas as you dismounted your horse and approached the cabin, pushing the door open. Inside was mostly empty, aside from a kitchen table, a couple cabinets, and a couch. The place was surprisingly clean. Arthur or Charles must have swept it out and cleaned up any garbage when they were here ridding it of any O’Driscolls.

You crossed the floor into the living area. Without any furniture, the place looked huge. The living area alone was larger than some of the “cabins” you would sometimes take shelter in. You heard the door open as Arthur and Charles followed you in. Arthur looked nervous. 

“I know it ain’t much.” He began. “You deserve so much better. We’ll fix it up, I promise. Maybe add another room down here, or--” You shut him up by striding across the room and pressing your lips to his. 

“Arthur, this is more than I ever could have dreamed,” You sighed, draping your arms over his shoulders. “You forget, I’m not some fancy lady from Saint Denis or New York. I’m used to the same kind of living you are.” you looked around the room. “This place is amazing. I can’t believe it’s really ours.” you said. 

“Told you she’d like it,” Charles chuckled. “A little work, and this place will be a home. Our home.” He said, looking around. You could practically see the gears turning in his head as he decided what needed to be done first. 

“Thank you, both of you,” you said, giving them each a kiss on the cheek. “It’s perfect. I can already see what this place will be when we’re done fixing it up.” You looked around the room. “I can already imagine our child playing, just over there by the fireplace.” you turned and looked out the window at the barn “Imagine all the horses we can have here. All the beauties we can breed and train and sell.”

“Alright, alright,” Arthur chuckled, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Before any of that happens, we need horses to breed and train,” He smiled down at you and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “And you need to bring that baby safely into the world. So no overworking yourself, you hear?” He scolded teasingly. “No heavy lifting, no climbing up on the house to help re-single the roof.”

“Arthur and I will take care of all that for the time being.” Charles chimed in. “You just take it easy,” 

“I promise,” you said. “Nothing risky.” Arthur nodded his head in satisfaction, and Charles kissed your forehead. 

“You wanna see the rest of the place?” Charles murmured. You nodded excitedly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your days were spent doing work around the ranch. Pulling weeds, stacking firewood, helping Arthur and Charles with the repairs however they’d let you. Sometimes you felt bad that you couldn’t do more to help, but they both assured you that they didn’t want you doing anything more than you were. You were going a little crazy doing the more domestic chores like cooking and cleaning, but at the moment it was really all you could do. 

Your nights were spent discussing things you could do to the ranch. What the next days task should be. The beds that had previously occupied the loft were no good, and had been thrown away, so you were forced to sleep on the floor. Nothing new to any of you, since you usually slept on the ground anyway. Your little bed of old quilts and blankets and bedrolls was just fine for the time being. 

One morning you and Charles woke up to find Arthur gone. This wasn’t that unusual. Arthur was used to going days without sleep, being up at all hours. Sometimes he couldn’t sleep. When you came down the stairs, you found a note from him hastily scribbled on a scrap of paper. 

_Gone to catch us a horse.  
Back before supper.  
Love,  
Arthur. _

Charles had been just as confused as you were, but the two of you just continued with your day. Charles finished repairing the roof, making sure it wouldn’t leak on you during the next rainstorm. You took care of the horses, lunging them around the corral for exercise, then brushing them until their coats shined. It was getting harder to bend over to clean their hoofs though, which irritated you. 

As evening fell, you heard two sets of hoofbeats coming up the path. Leaving the rabbit to cook over the fire, you stepped out of the house. Arthur came riding up to the door, dressed in his winter clothes, riding bareback on a pure white arabian mare with his horse trotting behind. 

“Look what I found up around Lake Isabella,” He said proudly, patting the mare's neck. Charles emerged from the barn, striding across the yard toward you both. 

“She’s beautiful,” you said, stepping forward slowly, hand outstretched for the horse to sniff. She let out a little huff as she breathed in your scent, then her lips began searching your hand. You laughed and pulled a carrot out of your satchel. “Here you go, girl. How did you find her?” you asked Arthur as he dismounted. 

“I heard someone talking about a pure white horse up in the snow a few weeks back. Thought I’d head up there and see if I could catch her.” Arthur said. “I’ll tell you, she did not come easy. She’s got some spirit. But eventually we reached an understanding,” Arthur chuckled. 

“Awwe. Did this mean outlaw bully you?” You cooed to the horse, giving Arthur a teasing grin. The mare began sniffing you over, stopping at your stomach. She let out a little whuff as she nosed your belly gently. She knew you were expecting. You didn’t know how, but you knew she did. 

You scratched behind the mare’s ear, and she let out a little sigh of pleasure, resting her forehead against your chest. Arthur smiled as he watched you with the snow-white mare. 

“She likes you,” Charles remarked, patting the mare’s neck. 

“She’s a sweetie,” you replied. “Come on, sugar. Lets go get you settled in a nice warm stall.” you said, grabbing the rope reins from Arthur. You had a sneaking suspicion you wouldn’t have needed them though. The mare followed you loyally to the barn. 

Charles and Arthur set down some straw in one of the empty stalls, and filled a bucket with water for her. You could tell she wasn’t thrilled with being in a confined space, used to nothing but the trees over her head. But she seemed to settle well enough. You leaned against the stall door, watching as she discovered the pile of hay in the corner. 

“What are we going to name her?” you asked, looking at Arthur and Charles. 

“What about Juniper?” Charles suggested. “She looks dusted white, like a juniper berry.” 

“I like that,” Arthur agreed. 

“Me too,” you said. “Juniper it is.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week flew by, and soon it was time for Arthur to return to the gang to tie up any loose ends, as he agreed to do. You’d told yourself you weren’t going to cry. It wasn’t forever, just for a few weeks. You’d spent longer apart from Arthur before. But as you stood at the main gate to the ranch, under the newly carved and hung sign that read “Three Deer Ranch” you couldn’t seem to stop the tears. 

“Darlin’ don’t cry,” Arthur murmured, cupping your face in his hands and wiping away the tears with his thumbs. “I won’t be gone long. I’ll come back as quick as I can.” 

“I know,” you sniffed. “I’m sorry. I’m trying not to cry. I just can’t stop.” you whimpered. Arthur wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a big hug, letting you cry into his chest. You were starting to get really tired of the heightened emotions that came with pregnancy. 

“No matter what happens, I’ll come back to you both,” Arthur vowed, looking up at Charles, who was standing just behind you. “I ain’t messing this up.” You nodded against his chest and sniffled, pushing aside the tears as Arthur reluctantly released you. His lips met yours, giving you a soft, loving kiss. 

“Take care of each other,” Arthur said as he pulled Charles in for a quick kiss and a long hug. 

“Of course we will,” Charles said matter of factly. “Make sure you take care of yourself. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.” 

“I’ll be careful.” Arthur vowed. As he let go of Charles, he looked between the two of you. You could tell he didn’t want to leave. But you knew he still held some loyalty to Dutch, and needed some closure for his previous life. 

“Ride safe,” you said, grabbing his horses reins to hold them steady. Reluctantly, Arthur pulled himself up into his saddle. “Punch Micah in the face for me. Give everyone else my love,” you joked. Arthur chuckled. 

“I will,” He leaned down and gave you and Charles one more kiss each. “I love you.” he murmured.

“We love you too,” Charles said. Arthur nodded and turned his horse down the road, spurring them onward into a canter as he rode away. You and Charles stood at the gate, watching until you couldn’t see him anymore. Listening to his hoofbeats until the sound faded. 

“Come on,” You said finally. “Let’s get this place looking like a home for when he returns.” Charles leaned over and kissed the top of your head before the two of you turned back toward the house. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

You sighed contently as Charles gently rubbed a rag across your body, washing you thoroughly. Your back had begun to really hurt recently, so Charles had surprised you that night by bringing the bathtub into the house and filling it with warm water. He sat on a stool next to the tub, and was carefully washing your body, massaging your muscles as he went.

You were about five months gone now, give or take, and your belly was starting to swell more and more. Your fingers lightly brushed against the skin of your stomach, caressing the little life growing inside of you as you so often did, nowadays. 

You spent a lot of your time working with Juniper, lunging her on a long-lead, helping her get used to having tack on (though you knew you couldn’t try to ride her. If she spooked and bucked you, it would be the end of your child). When you weren’t working with her, She followed you around the yard like a lost puppy. You got the feeling she was keeping an eye on you, making sure nothing hurt you or your precious cargo. 

You felt a dull thud in your stomach. Your hand shot out of the water, grabbing Charles’ wrist and pulling his hand down to rest over your stomach, nearly pulling him into the tub with you. The two of you sat quietly for a moment, waiting. The baby had begun to kick about a week ago, but Charles hadn’t felt it yet. 

You desperately wanted Charles to feel what you were feeling, that tangible proof of life inside of you. So every time they did it, you’d yell for Charles to come quick (much to his displeasure, as he’d rushed into the room in a panic more than once, thinking something was wrong). If he were across the yard, you’d race over as quickly as your legs could waddle. But the baby seemed adamant that Charles not feel a thing. 

“Come on, little one,” you cooed encouragingly, “Kick for your father.” you and Charles sat there for another minute, but it seemed the baby was done moving for the time being. You tsked in disappointment. Charles chuckled and grabbed the rag, which he’d dropped in the water, and returned to washing your body. 

“They’ll do it for me when they’re ready,” He said, “For now they only want you to feel it.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the swell above the water. “Maybe the baby’s waiting for Arthur to get back so he can feel it too.” He suggested, gently taking your arm so he could scrub it down. You were quiet for a moment. 

“I hope he comes home soon...” You said quietly. Arthur had been gone for a month now. You knew he needed to finish a few things with the gang, but you hadn’t thought it would take this long. Charles set the rag aside and held your hand in both of his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. 

“He’ll be here soon,” Charles assured you. “He knows what’s important.” you nodded slowly. But you knew he’d been feeling Arthur’s absence just as much as you had. Your family was incomplete without him. 

“He should be here,” You said. “He should be experiencing all this with us.” 

“I know,” Charles said. You glanced over at him. He sat on his stool pensively for a moment. You knew he was scared. Arthur had at least a little experience with pregnant women. He’d been around Abigail and Eliza. But Charles had none. You knew he was scared of making a mistake, of something happening and him not knowing what to do. 

You sat up in the tub and leaned forward, knocking your head against his. He tilted his head against yours, the two of you leaning on each other for comfort. You sat like that for a moment, eyes closed, just leaning on each other for support. 

You felt a fluttering in your stomach, and another little thud. Like lightning you yanked Charles’ hand forward, pressing it up against your stomach once more, hoping maybe this time the baby would kick for him. Again, the baby stilled the moment Charles’ hand rested on your stomach. 

“Dang it!” you huffed, leaning back against the back of the tub once more. Charles laughed and grabbed the rag, returning to washing you. He was very careful as he ran the rag across your sensitive bosom, knowing how much your breasts had been hurting you recently. He then moved to your belly, slowly rubbing the rag across your skin, almost reverent in his movements. You watched him, his eyes fixed on your stomach. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to your stomach once more. 

“I love you, little one,” He murmured. “I can’t wait to meet you.” He said. Your heart swelled as you watched him. He was going to be a great father. He already was. He looked up at you and smiled, leaning forward and pressing a slow, sweet kiss to your lips. “Waters getting a little cold,” He noted, dipping his fingers in the bath water. You nodded. “Ready for bed?” He asked. You nodded again. 

Charles set the rag aside and stood up. He offered you a hand, helping you stand up. Before you could step over the wooden side of the tub, his arms came under your knees, and he swept you into his arms like you weighed nothing. You giggled and wrapped your arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“You sure know how to make a pregnant gal feel better about her weight,” You said. Charles gave you a strange look, something between amusement and exasperation. He pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

“You’re light as a feather, my love,” He assured you as he began walking toward the stairs, carefully carrying you up to the loft where your bed was. 

Charles had crafted a large bed, large enough for the three of you to share, on Arthur’s return. It was a dark brown wood, carved with great care. He’d finished it about a week ago, surprising you with it one night. The mattress was so comfortable, you had trouble pulling yourself out of bed most mornings. 

You pressed kisses along his jaw and neck. You’d been feeling incredibly needy recently, desperately wanting Charles to make love to you. But he’d been so tired most nights, doing all the work himself. You hadn’t wanted to pester him. But you were unable to resist tonight. 

“Yes, my love?” Charles asked, an amused chuckle running through his chest. He gently set you down on the bed. You whimpered and grabbed his belt, pulling him close to you and pressing your lips against his. He met your kiss, carefully bending over you. 

“Please, Charles,” You panted, breaking the kiss for a moment. 

“You sure? I don’t want to hurt you, or the baby.” He murmured, brow furrowed. 

“I told you before. You won’t hurt us,” You whispered. “Please? I want to feel you inside of me.” Charles let out a small groan. He nodded and quickly shed his clothes, kicking off his boots, tossing his shirt who knows where, before crawling into bed alongside you. 

You pressed a hand to his chest, guiding him up the bed until he was reclining against the headboard. You straddled his hips, grinding your wet center down on his stiffening cock. Charles groaned when he felt how wet you were. 

You knocked your forehead against his, cupping his face in your hands as you slowly swirled your hips, driving him wild, and soothing that ache you’d been feeling over the last few days. Charles reached down between you and held himself up for you. You lifted your hips and slowly lowered yourself down on him. 

The sensation seemed to suck all the air from your lungs, and you closed your eyes, mouth open in a silent moan. Charles let out a deep groan, resting his forehead against your collarbone as your hips met his. 

Gently you tilted his head up to face you, and you pressed your lips to his. You kissed him passionately, tongues fighting for dominance as you held him inside of you for a minute. Slowly you began rolling your hips, drawing out moans from both of you. You held him close, moving slowly as the two of you made love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About a week later, you found yourself out in the meadow just outside the ranch. You’d seen some quail scratching at the earth the day before. If you’d timed it right, hopefully you could get some newly-laid quail eggs for supper. Using a long stick, you carefully parted the bushes, searching for a nest.

A clutch of about 14 quail eggs sat amongst the bushes, laid this morning, judging by the way they were still shiny. You squatted down carefully, gathering half the eggs and tucking them into your basket. You carefully stood back up, ever aware of your changing center of gravity. 

“Find anything?” A voice called out to you, catching your attention. Charles leaned against the fence around the edge of the property, watching you. You held up one of the eggs. 

“Quail eggs,” You called back. Charles grinned and gave you a thumbs up before turning to return to work. He was patching up the barn, replacing old, crumbling wood with new lumber from Strawberry. He’d traded in a number of pelts and gotten just enough money to get the wood he needed. 

You were about to turn back to the house, when a bush near the little creek caught your attention. Raspberries. Your mouth watered as your mind turned to the bottle of cream Charles had brought home this morning when he returned with the lumber. Raspberries and cream sounded like a delightful treat. 

You slowly picked your way across the meadow, enjoying the view as you approached the raspberry bush. Across the way, a herd of pronghorn pranced through the flowers, fleeing from a rider trotting along the trail on the other side of the valley. An elk call echoed out across the valley. Squirrels chattered as they fought over a nut or some other spoils they’d found. The soft smell of the purple flowers in the meadow wafted over you. 

It was so peaceful here. So beautiful. You couldn’t wait until Arthur was back, and your child was born. You could just imagine the four of you spending time together in this meadow. You could picture it now, Charles racing across the field with a little toddler on his shoulders, the two of them chasing down Arthur. Arthur snagging the child off of Charles’ shoulders when he was “caught.” You could imagine the child racing across the meadow, followed by a loyal dog barking at their heels. Could practically see Charles teaching them how to track, Arthur teaching them how to shoot. 

A warmth filled your soul as you crossed the meadow toward the raspberry bushes. You’d never thought you’d want a quiet, domestic life, but you’d never felt happier. This was where you were supposed to be. 

You reached the raspberry bush and began picking the ripe berries, setting them in your basket next to the tiny little quail eggs. You couldn’t help but hum a little tune as you picked the berries. The baby inside of you wiggled and kicked lightly. 

“You happy too, darlin’?” You murmured, looking down at your belly. “Oh my sweet little baby, your daddies have done so well for us,” you sighed, looking around at the valley once more. “I think you’ll like growing up here. You can still be as wild as your fathers and I, but you’ll be better than us.” You returned to picking berries, and continued talking to your child inside of you. You told them all the wonderful plans you and your husbands had for the ranch, for your life. 

A sharp, loud whistle caught your attention, echoing through the valley. You looked up, immediately on the alert, hand resting on the gun at your hip. To the east, you saw a horse and rider racing across the meadow toward you. As they neared, your heart stopped. You’d know that horse anywhere, as well as the grumpy cowboy on it’s back. 

“Charles!” You called loudly, “It’s Arthur! He’s back! Arthur’s home!” You heard the loud bang of the barn door bursting open as Charles raced out. You couldn’t think to wait for him, setting down your basket, grabbing your belly, and racing to meet the horse and rider who were barreling towards you. 

Arthur pulled the horse to a stop some feet away, dismounting before his horse had even stopped, and racing to meet you. You raced into his arms, sobbing with joy as you hugged him. He lifted you off your feet, holding you close to him as he hugged you. A moment later you felt Charles barrel into you both, arms encircling you and Arthur as best as he could. 

Arthur peppered kisses across your face and Charles’, mumbling something about ‘sorry it took so long.’ You weren’t paying attention, just holding him tightly, breathing in his familiar scent. You may have stayed that way for days. You had no idea. You just knew you couldn’t let him go. 

Even when the three of you eventually broke the hug, you still didn’t let go of each other completely. You held each other’s hands as you pulled back to study each other. Arthur was a little dirty, but you didn’t see any new injuries, anything to concern yourself with. He was safe, and here, standing in front of you. 

“My god,” Arthur murmured, crouching down in front of you. His hands gently cupped the swell of your belly, taking in how much it had grown since he’d last seen you over a month ago. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on your stomach before looking up at you. “Darlin’ you’ve never looked more beautiful,” He murmured. You smiled and cupped his face, guiding him to stand back up and pressing your lips to his. He kissed you sweetly for a moment before he eventually pulled away. 

“Come on,” You said, grabbing his hand. “You’ve got to see all the work Charles has done,” You urged tugging him to follow you. 

“I can see some of it from here,” Arthur remarked, studying the barn. “It’s lookin’ good, darlin’,” Arthur said, pulling Charles close for a sweet kiss of his own. Together the three of you went to gather your basket from where you’d left it and return to the house. To your home. With Arthur finally here, it really felt like home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	3. Here I Am, Ready For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Reader's pregnancy progresses, she and her husbands settle into their new home, and new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for going on this journey with me.  
> Originally this piece was supposed to be just another little one-shot to go in Campfire Stories, maybe 20,000 words max. Well we're far past that. But I've loved every second of writing it. I hope you've enjoyed reading it.  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Please follow my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/12timetraveler) @12timetraveler to make requests, see teasers, and just generally geek out with me. 
> 
> Requests are always welcome  
> Kudos bring me joy  
> Comments feed my soul

Arthur didn’t return alone. After your tearful reunion, and simple lunch of bread and cheese, Arthur explained everything that had happened since he’d left. 

To the surprise of absolutely no-one, Dutch had tried to convince Arthur to stay in the gang. Reminded him that he was needed. That no one worked as hard as Arthur to keep the gang afloat. What would happen to them without him. Guilt trips, shouting matches, the works. The only thing that ended it all was John. 

About a week after Arthur had returned to the gang, John had asked Arthur on a job with him. The two had worked it easily enough. But on the way back, John had led Arthur the long way home. 

He told Arthur that seeing him leaving the life, getting out with his family, maybe it was the kick in the ass John needed to get his own family out. Arthur listened as John told him how he was starting to see what everyone else had been saying. That he wasn’t doing right by them. That they both deserved better. 

John asked if he could work on your little ranch as a hand until he figured out what he wanted for his family. It was the last thing Arthur was expecting him to say. 

“I told him yes,” Arthur said, eyes flicking nervously between you and Charles. “Didn’t feel right turning him down after all the shit I’ve given him about doing the right thing. He and Abigail and Jack are on their way. They stopped in Valentine, but sent me ahead.” 

You glanced around the house, thinking things over. You didn’t have much here. You felt slightly embarrassed at the state of your house, though you knew none of them would care. You smiled, imagining Jack running around the yard. Imagining him teaching your child everything he knew. It was silent for a moment, then you turned back to Arthur. 

“Well, we’d better clear some space for them,” you said cheerfully. 

“They could sleep down here. It’s not like we’ve got a lot of furniture to move around anyway.” Charles suggested. “At least until we get a cottage built for them.”

“You’re... not mad?” Arthur asked. 

“Mad?” You asked, genuinely surprised. 

“Arthur, John’s your brother. Or as close to one as you’ve got.” Charles assured him. “Of course he can stay with us until he’s on his feet.” 

“Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra help around here,” You said, pushing yourself to your feet, ready to get to work. Arthur stared up at you, shocked. 

“You know,” Charles mused, “There’s that old little shed outside. Maybe we could use the foundation to build them a cottage.” He suggested. You hummed and nodded in agreement. “Last time I was in Strawberry, this man was telling me about these pre-cut houses that you order out of a catalogue,” Charles continued, glancing out the window at the little shed outside.

Arthur looked between the two of you, mouth hanging open like a fish out of water. You smiled and moved to stand between his legs, knocking his hat off his head and carding your fingers through his hair. He kissed your stomach automatically, then looked up at you in wonder. 

“Why did I expect anything else from you two?” Arthur murmured. A small smile crossed his face. “Thank you.” He murmured. Arthur pulled you down on his lap and continued explaining how everything happened. 

Once John told Dutch he was leaving with Arthur, Dutch nearly lost it. It was a tense few days. Finally, Hosea dragged Dutch, Arthur and John on a fishing trip where they could all talk things over privately, Hosea acting as mediator. 

Carefully the three of them won Dutch over. Even Dutch had to admit that it made sense for the mothers and children to leave the gang, and of course their husbands would want to be with them. Hosea pointed out that, wasn’t it always the dream to find a place to settle down. Arthur and John had just found their place before the others. 

With this defeat, Dutch’s wild ideas seemed to settle some, much to Micah’s distaste. Dutch and Hosea began working on plans to move north, to Canada. There hopefully they could escape the Pinkertons, and find their own little slice of life. 

Without his two best men, his sons, Dutch knew it was pointless to try to continue on the path he had been. Losing the two rooks on his chess board was too much. 

Funny enough, he seemed happier once he’d settled in on this. Like once the stress of his grand plans had been lifted, he was able to relax some. Arthur said he was much more like the Dutch of Arthur’s youth. He hadn’t realized how much Dutch had changed until he seemed to change back. 

Micah had left the gang. Said he hadn’t joined the infamous Van Der Linde gang just so they could turn yellow and become housewives. After Micah left, Hosea urged the gang to move, and Dutch had listened. They’d taken up refuge up near the Three Sisters for the time being, while they worked out their best route to Canada. 

It was like a huge weight had been lifted from your shoulders. You’d been worried about what would happen to your friends. But knowing that they were going to settle down, try to find their own peace, and guilt you felt at taking Arthur from the gang lifted. 

“Anyone home?” A familiar raspy voice called from the yard. You smiled and pulled yourself off of Arthur’s lap and hurried to the door. 

John, Abigail and Jack all sat on Old Boy. John held Jack in front of him while Abigail rode on the large horses rump. You couldn’t suppress an excited laugh as you saw them, hurrying over to them. 

You took Jack from John so that he and Abigail could dismount. Jack hugged you tightly, telling you all about the journey and the bear that had chased them. 

“A bear?” You gasped, looking at Jack. He nodded eagerly. 

“Yeah. We were just riding on the rode and it came out of the trees!” He exclaimed. 

“My goodness,” You cooed, looking at John for confirmation. John swung his leg over Old Boy’s neck and dismounted. He nodded to you as he helped Abigail down. 

“Yeah! Papa rode really fast, and we got away. It was scary.” Jack explained. John took Jack from you as Abigail crashed into you, giving you a big hug. 

“It was terrifying.” Abigail confirmed, laughing slightly. “Fortunately once it had chased us off, it seemed to have given up on us.”

“Lots of wildlife around here,” Charles mused, coming up behind you. He and John hugged quickly after John set Jack down.

“You got that right,” John chuckled. “Suppose the bears’ll do a good job of keeping the Pinkertons away.” 

“Hush up.” Abigail scolded “None of that. We’re startin’ over.” she said. You laughed. 

“What do you think of the place, Jack?” You asked. 

“It’s nice,” Jack said, looking around. “Nicer than anywhere else we’ve stayed.” 

“It’ll be even nicer when we’re done fixing it up,” Arthur assured them all. 

“You kiddin’? After all those years in tents, this may as well be a castle.” Abigail chuckled. 

Seeing your friends there, suddenly everything seemed to fall into place. Your home, your strange little family, it was all as it should be. 

“Come on,” You said, linking your arm through Abigail’s, “I’ll show you the rest of the place.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, long after the Marstons were settled on their makeshift bed of bear and bison pelts in front of the fireplace downstairs, you sat up on your bed with Charles and Arthur. You’d hardly left Arthur’s side all day, just happy to have him home. 

Charles sat behind you, massaging your lower back attentively. Arthur stood to add another log to the little stove in the loft, proactively fighting the mountain chill that came with every evening. You sighed as Charles found the exact spot on your back that hurt, and hung your head forward, eyes closed. Your back was starting to hurt more and more under the strain of the life growing inside of you. 

The bed creaked next to you as Arthur sat down, his hand gently stroking your knee. You looked up at him and smiled, tilting your head up for a kiss. He happily gave it, lips meeting yours in a sweet, soft kiss. You reached up a hand to the back of his neck, lightly scratching the sensitive hairs on the back of his neck for a moment. You grinned when you felt a small shiver run up his body at your touch. 

Arthur sighed contently and lay back on the bed. You’d never seen him look so peaceful. Without you having to say anything, Charles moved out from behind you, and the two of you lounged down on the bed with you in the middle. Arthur and Charles both turned on their sides to face you, and almost in sync their hands came over your stomach, softly stroking your taught belly. 

“God. I can’t believe how much the baby’s grown since I left.” Arthur murmured in awe.

“It’s incredible isn’t it.” Charles agreed. “Guess what, little one,” He said, leaning in toward your stomach, “Papa’s home.” 

“I’m home,” Arthur confirmed, leaning in close as well. Everything was quiet for a moment. A firm thud from inside your belly responded to their fathers’ cooing, and both men froze. You were grinning from ear to ear as the baby kicked against their hands once more. 

“Clever thing,” Charles chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to your stomach. “You really were waiting for your Papa to come home. Didn’t want him missing out, huh?” He murmured. 

“You’re so strong,” Arthur encouraged. “How long have you been doin’ that, huh? You startin’ to keep your mama up at night?” 

You couldn’t help but giggle, looking at your two big, intimidating husbands cooing at your stomach. It was absolutely precious. 

“They’ve been kicking for a couple weeks now. But they wouldn’t ever do it when I was around,” Charles explained. “I said they were probably waiting for you to get home so they could show off to both of us. I guess I was right.” 

“Thank you for waitin’ for me,” Arthur murmured, his thumb rubbing your belly softly. You brought a hand up to each man’s head, slipping your fingers through their hair. Charles grinned up at you, then looked at Arthur, then back at you. Arthur’s gaze was locked on your stomach, as if waiting for the baby to do something. 

Another thud against Arthur’s hand, then Charles’. You giggled. 

“Yes, Arthur, you were thoroughly missed,” You whispered. Arthur grinned up at you and lay back down alongside you, hand still resting on your belly. 

“Just by the baby?” He asked. You rolled your eyes. 

“Oh, I suppose I missed you too,” You relented. Arthur chuckled and pressed a kiss to your cheek. 

“I just missed a second pair of hands helping me with the yard work,” Charles teased, Arthur growled and awkwardly crawled over you to pounce on Charles, the three of you breaking into fits of laughter. Arthur pinned Charles to the bed and nuzzled his face against Charles’ neck. 

“You take that back,” Arthur growled, trying to keep down his laughter.

“Shhhh,” You tried to hush them between giggles. “We don’t want to keep Marston up,” You scolded. 

“Too late,” A rough voice called from downstairs. 

“The sun has gone to bed,” Jack huffed, “Mama says you have to stop playing once the sun’s gone to bed.” You covered your mouth to stop yourself laughing at Jack’s cute scolding. 

“Sorry,” you called, “I’ll make them behave.” 

“I don’t envy you that,” Abigail’s sleepy voice called. “‘S hard enough keeping one man in line.” 

“Hey,” John chuckled in mock offense, 

“Shhhh. Sleepy time,” Jack scolded. 

You giggled as Arthur carefully climbed back over you and lay down in bed beside you. The two men settled in against you, sandwiching you in their warmth. It didn’t take you long to drift off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arthur, Charles and John went into town the next day to see about getting one of those pre-made houses to build for John and his family. While he was there, Arthur sought out the town doctor. He convinced the doctor from Strawberry to make the trip up to the ranch to see you and make sure you and baby were doing okay. Normally he didn’t make house calls up this far, but something had convinced him. You weren’t sure if it was Arthur’s “charm” or a big wad of cash. 

So a couple weeks later you found yourself lounging on the couch while the doctor pressed a stethoscope to your belly, listening intently. The room was dead quiet. Charles sat in a chair across the room. Arthur leaned against the fireplace. Everyone waited to hear what the doctor had to say. Finally the doctor sat up, putting the stethoscope back in his bag. 

“Everything sounds healthy.” he said, giving you a reassuring smile. You let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding. The man shifted in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. You weren’t sure you liked that. 

“Is something wrong?” you asked, sitting up slightly. 

“Well... that depends on how you look at it.” He said. “When I was listening... I could hear two distinct fetal heartbeats.” He said. You blinked at him, not quite understanding. “I believe you are expecting twins.” 

Arthur choked on his own spit, coughing as he attempted to recover. Charles sucked in a breath, staring at your belly in wonder. The doctor gave the two men a sideways glance. 

“Twins?” You asked, not sure how you felt about that. A mixture of emotions swirled in your chest. Excitement at the prospect of two little babies to love and cuddle and protect. But also fear. The thought of labor already scared you. Having to push not one baby, but two out into the world was a daunting task. You felt a little woozy just thinking about it. 

“Yes. I’m fairly certain. It would also explain... not to be rude but, you’re a bit larger than normal for this stage in your pregnancy,” He explained, glancing over at the men on the other side of the room who were doing their best to remain stoic, though you could see them both practically vibrating with excitement. The doctor offered you a hand so you could sit up properly on the couch. “I wondered if maybe you were further along than you thought. But it appears you are simply carrying two children.” He gave you a small smile, “And both sound very healthy.”

“Thank you, doctor,” You said, smiling at him. 

“Of course. Now, there is a midwife in town by the name of Mrs. Peterson. She should attend your delivery. I’ll leave you with her information,” He said, pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen and scribbling something on it before handing it to you. “She is very good at what she does. You’ll be in good hands with her. With that, I’ll take my leave, if you don’t mind. It’s a long ride back to Strawberry. Have a good day, ma’am, gentlemen,” He said, gathering his things before walking out of the house. 

It was quiet for a moment. No one made a sound. You looked at your husbands nervously, not sure why they weren’t saying anything. You’d thought they were excited, but had you misunderstood? You heard distinct hoofbeats ride out of the yard and down the road.

Once the sound of hoofbeats faded, Arthur and Charles erupted into hoots and cheers, startling you so bad you nearly jumped out of your skin. Arthur leapt into the air, pumping his fist and nearly bumping his head on the ceiling. Charles raced over to the couch, scooping you off the couch and into a big bear hug.

You couldn’t help but laugh at their antics, your mood lifted significantly by their reaction. You could worry about the scary part later. For now, you could just be excited. You found yourself sandwiched between Arthur and Charles as both men hugged you, babbling thank yous and other nonsense. 

John and Abigail burst into the house, drawn by the commotion. They took in the scene for a moment, wide-eyed and unsure what was happening. Abigail wrung her hands nervously. Arthur and Charles let you go, though Charles kept one arm around you to keep you steady, his other hand brushing your hair from your face tenderly.

“Twins!” Arthur exclaimed when he saw them. Abigail shrieked with delight and raced over to hug you tightly. John allowed an overexcited Arthur to sweep him into a hug, though he looked horribly uncomfortable, though amused. 

Abigial was talking faster than you could keep up with. She bounced between hugging you, hugging Arthur, hugging Charles, then hugging you again. John patted Charles on the shoulder in congratulations before pulling you into a quick hug. 

“I’m happy for you all,” He said, a wide smile on his face. “Although, twice the kids, twice the work,” John pointed out. You groaned slightly, and glared at him. You knew he was talking about after the babies were born. But you’d instantly been reminded of the work you’d be doing bringing the babies into the world. 

Abigail patted your hand sympathetically, knowing exactly what you were thinking. John seemed to realize his faux paz and gave you a sheepish grin. You smiled back. 

“Good thing I’ve got twice the help then,” you said, looking up at Charles, then at Arthur. They both nodded. 

“Of course,” Charles assured you, pressing another kiss to the top of your head. 

“Anything you need,” Arthur agreed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Can you believe the nerve on her?” you huffed. You and Charles had taken the wagon into town so you could be seen by the midwife, who refused to do house-calls that far from town. It had not gone well. “She wouldn’t listen to a word I said! When I asked why I couldn’t deliver in my home, she said it was because she didn’t want to travel!” You exclaimed. Charles, who had been told to stay outside while you and the midwife spoke, frowned. “I know!” You exclaimed, reading his expression. “She wants me to travel all the way down here while in labor! And when I said I wasn’t comfortable with that, she was more than happy to charge me $5 a night to stay in the spare room at her house. $5 a night!” 

“Highway robbery,” Charles agreed. 

“And when I asked if you and Arthur could be in the room with me, she rudely replied. ‘This isn’t a social club, dear. Your husband and his friend can wait in the visitors center, or at home.’ She wouldn’t even listen to what I wanted.” You ranted. Charles shifted the reins to one hand and took your hand in the other, giving you a comforting squeeze. 

“Honestly I’d rather give birth on my own than have that old hag in the room.” You huffed, temper getting the better of you. Charles looked over at you nervously, then quickly flicked his eyes back to the road, making sure not to crash the wagon. “What?” You asked. 

“My love,” He said, pausing to make sure he chose his words carefully. “I understand your concerns, I do. But don’t you think someone in the room should know what they’re doing?” He asked. 

“Abigail’s had a baby.” You pointed out. Charles gave you a long suffering look, and you sighed. “I know. I just... I really don’t want her there Charles.” You said, sounding defeated. Charles rested a hand on your thigh comfortingly. 

“You should be comfortable with who’s there when you have the babies.” Charles agreed. “But... if it comes down to it...” He glanced over at you and trailed off. Upon seeing how upset you were, he seemed to rethink his words. “I’ll ask around. See if there’s another midwife in the area. Maybe there’s one in Valentine we can persuade to come out this way. Or Blackwater” He said. You sighed and leaned your head against Charles’ shoulder. 

“Thank you,” you said. Charles pressed a kiss to the top of your head. 

“Anything for you, my love,” He said gently. “We’ll find someone else to attend to you. Someone who you’re comfortable with, who will let you do things the way you feel you need to.” 

You hummed in appreciation, closing your eyes and you leaned against him. Maybe you were being difficult, and you felt bad for creating something else for Charles to do, but you knew how you wanted this to happen. You wanted to be in your own home, with Charles and Arthur holding your hands, maybe with Abigail helping the midwife. You wanted to feel safe. Your life had made you far too paranoid to feel safe anywhere but your home, with your husbands on either side of you.

“Wait,” You said, sitting up and looking over at Charles. “Do... do you want to be there? I realized I never asked... I just assumed... I know it's not normal but...” You hesitated. You’d told them both that you wanted them there, but you realized you’d never asked if they were okay with that. Usually men were banished from the room. You’d never considered that maybe they preferred it that way.

“Of course I do,” Charles assured you. “You’re bringing my children into the world. The least I can do is sit by your side and hold your hand while you do.” He said. “Arthur feels the same. We were talking about it the other night after you’d gone to bed.” He said. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” You nodded in satisfaction and returned to leaning your head against his shoulder. 

You must have drifted off, lulled by the sway of the wagon, or exhausted from the task of creating life. The next thing you knew, Charles was gently shaking you awake. 

“Someone’s waiting for us,” He said. You sat up and looked in the direction Charles was pointing. Arthur stood near the gate, leaning against the fence, smiling widely at you both. You grinned when you saw him. He stomped out a cigarette in the dirt and approached the wagon. Charles slowed the wagon enough that Arthur could climb up and hang off the side while Charles drove into the barn. 

“How’d it go?” Arthur asked, kissing your cheek. You scowled. 

“I ain’t letting that witch ANYWHERE near my womanhood.” you snarled, once again fired up from your experience with the town midwife.

“That well, huh?” Arthur asked, chuckling. Charles nodded. 

“Tomorrow I’m going to ride into Valentine and see if I can find a midwife there who would be willing to come out here.” Charles said. 

“That may not be necessary.” Arthur said with a wide grin. Charles stopped the wagon, raising an eyebrow at Arthur. Arthur climbed down before helping you carefully down as well. “I’ve got a surprise for you.” He said, wrapping one hand around your waist and holding your hand in the other. 

“There she is,” A familiar, shrill voice called across the yard. “Where’d you go? Blackwater?” Mrs. Grimshaw came around the side of the house, grinning from ear to ear. You gasped and, holding your stomach in your hands, did your best to run toward her. She made it easier on you and met you half-way, hugging you tightly to her. 

“Mrs. Grimshaw!” You exclaimed, doing your best not to cry. “What are you doing here? I thought Dutch and the others were headed north?” 

“They are. They’re camped up near Cattail pond for now. But I thought...” Mrs. Grimshaw looked embarrassed. “Well I thought I’d swing by and see if I could offer any help.” She said. “I can join up with the rest of them later. But if you’ll have me, I’d like to make sure you’re alright, and that your baby gets here safely.” She looked down at your stomach. “Speaking of, are you sure you’re only 7 months gone?” She asked. You grinned. 

“I guess I’ve got a few things to catch you up on.” You said. “But... Mrs. Grimshaw I’d love if you stayed. There isn’t anyone else in the world I’d have attend to me when the time comes.” you said. Mrs. Grimshaw’s lip wobbled for a moment, and she looked away, taking a deep breath to bring herself under control, before she linked arms with you and steered you toward the house. 

“Alright, dear. Lets get you inside. That long journey isn’t good for someone in your condition,” She lectured. You couldn’t help but giggle as she led you inside your home, Arthur and Charles following behind happily. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were out in the corral, brushing Juniper’s coat. It was just about all you could do at this point in your pregnancy, but it brought you so much peace and serenity. Mindlessly brushing dirt from her white fur while she stood there, obediently munching on some hay. You found yourself out here a lot recently. 

You’d started feeling pangs last week. Abigail had warned you that might happen. Just your body preparing for what was to come. The pains didn’t necessarily mean it was your time, but were a warning it was close. It had still made you nervous, and you were feeling restless. Many mornings you found yourself waddling out to the paddock to brush the horses. 

Juniper turned her head and nuzzled your stomach gently. She wuffed as she inspected you. She lifted her head and lipped at your arm. You smiled and patted her soft, velvet nose. 

“Don’t worry,” you assured her. “I’m fine.” you returned to brushing her snow-white back. “Arthur and Charles will find you a beautiful stallion, and I’ll make sure to be there for you like you’ve been here for me,” you vowed. She nickered and nuzzled your stomach again. One of the babies responded by kicking. “Hey now. Don’t get them all worked up,” you huffed. The horse shook her mane and returned to munching on her hay. 

A sharp pang clenched your stomach, knocking the breath out of you. You leaned forward against the white mare, letting her support your weight as your body tensed and froze. This one was different from the others. You knew at once this one was the real deal. The white mare stood still as you clung to her, your fingers tangling in her mane. Slowly the pain subsided, and you stood there gasping. 

The mare took a step forward, turning toward the barn, and you walked with her, still holding onto her mane. She slowly walked you across the pasture, taking small, calm steps as she guided you to the fence. 

“Charles,” you called, hoping he was still in the barn where you’d last seen him. You tried to keep your voice calm, though it trembled a little bit as fear and panic gripped you. The barn door opened, and Charles walked out. He took one look at you and knew immediately something was happening, striding toward you in long strides and leaping over the corral fence to get to you. 

“Is it time?” He asked gently. You nodded. 

“Help me to the house?” you asked. He wrapped his right arm around your waist, his left hand taking yours gently as he walked you through the corral gate and toward the house. You could feel fluid slowly dripping down your legs.

“Abigail, Mrs. Grimshaw,” He called, clear voice echoing through the yard. He was doing remarkably well at keeping calm, though his voice was a little louder than necessary. 

The Marston’s cabin had been finished a couple weeks back, and Mrs. Grimshaw had moved in with them for the time being so as not to crowd you as your time neared and you grew anxious. Abigail opened the door to her little cabin. She took one look at you, at the expression on your face and the way Charles was carefully guiding you toward the farmhouse, and she knew. 

“Mrs. Grimshaw,” she called back into the little house. “It’s time.” Susan and Abigail hurried out of their cabin and followed as Charles helped you into the house. 

“Abigail, get the spare quilts and blankets. We’ll set up a bed in front of the fireplace.” Mrs. Grimshaw instructed. Abigail nodded and hurried up the stairs to get your blankets. Mrs. Grimshaw grabbed a chair from the kitchen table and pulled it out. Charles helped you sit down, crouching down beside you. You could see the concern written on his face. You grabbed his chin and stole a quick kiss. 

“Arthur…?” You asked him. He nodded. 

“I’ll go track him down. He and John went out to try and catch that wild Thoroughbred that’s been around.” Charles straightened up. “Mrs. Grimshaw…”

“I won’t leave her side,” Mrs. Grimshaw vowed. Charles bent over and planted a kiss on your forehead. 

“I won’t be long, love,” He murmured. You nodded and squeezed his hand once more before letting him go. He strode out of the farmhouse, whistling for Taima. You listened as her hoofbeats raced away. 

"Come on, missy" Mrs. Grimshaw said to as Abigail came down the stairs with her arms full of blankets and pillows that had been set aside precisely for this. "Let's get you out of your dress. Don't want to ruin it." She said, helping you stand. She and Abigail were quick to help you out of your dress, unlace your boots, and get you comfortably settled in a long, loose nightgown. You settled back onto your chair with a shawl wrapped around your shoulders. 

The first hour wasn’t so bad. You were starting to feel pretty confident about everything. Yes it was painful when the contractions would clench your muscles and make you freeze, groaning in pain. But it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle. It wasn’t overwhelming. Between contractions you were chatting and laughing with Abigail and Mrs. Grimshaw like nothing was happening. Jack sat on the floor, playing with his toy horse. When a contraction did hit, he’d come over and pat your thigh in comfort. He looked confused, but since his mama and Mrs. Grimshaw were calm, so was he. 

It took Charles about an hour and a half to return with Arthur. You heard three sets of hoofbeats riding into the yard, heard John call that he’d take care of the horses, and the door flew open as Arthur and Charles burst in. Arthur was by your side instantly, crouching next to the chair where you sat. 

“How are you, darlin’? Can I bring you anything? What should I do?” He asked, hurriedly, cupping your face in his hands. You smiled and leaned into his touch. 

“Nothing for now,” you replied. Charles grabbed your hand and kissed the back of it. “I just want you both here with me.” 

“Nothing very exciting is happening yet,” Mrs. Grimshaw replied, unable to hide her amusement at seeing Arthur so panicked. “But we’re certainly on our way.” Arthur stroked your hair out of your face. A knock at the door grabbed your attention. 

“Can I come in?” John asked hesitantly. All eyes turned to you. You were calling the shots right now. 

“Come on in. Nothing really happening yet.” you called. John slowly opened the door and took in the scene, as if afraid he’d find you on the floor pushing already. He breathed a sigh of relief when he entered and found the calm scene before him. 

“How’re you feeling, missy?” he asked. You gave him an amused grin. 

“Been better, but I’m still doin’ okay.” 

“You won’t be sayin’ that in a couple hours.” Abigail chuckled. 

“Do you want me to get Jack out of here?” He asked, looking between you and Abigail. 

“I don’t mind him staying a little longer.” you said, giving Jack a big smile. “He’s been so sweet to me, tryin’ to cheer me up.” You said. Jack grinned proudly. 

“See Pa, I’m helping.” He said. 

“Once things get a little more intense you may want to take him on a ride,” Abigail suggested. John just nodded and set his hat down on the table. 

You gasped as a contraction seized your body once more, a little stronger than its predecessor. You doubled over as much as your swollen belly would allow, but it didn’t help much. 

“Walking helps,” Abigail said standing up and taking a step forward. You grabbed Arthur’s forearm and he helped you to your feet. He wrapped an arm around your waist and slowly walked around the room, letting you set the pace. You felt a little hand grab yours. Jack held your hand and smiled up at you, walking with you. You flashed him what you hoped was a grateful smile. 

The pain grew too intense for you to move, and you stopped, grabbing Arthur’s shoulders. His hand came down to your waist, holding you up. You felt Charles’ hands press against your lower back, massaging the muscles in your back with firm circles. 

“You’re okay,” Jack murmured, patting your hip gently, soothing you as best as he could. “Sometimes things hurt, but it always goes away. That’s what mama says when I scrape my knee.” He assured you with that sweet bluntness that only small children possessed. 

You rested your forehead against Arthur’s chest, whimpering in pain and trying not to cry. What had you just been thinking? About how it wasn’t so bad. No it was bad. It hurt. A lot. You could hear Charles humming softly behind you, trying his best to sooth you. 

Eventually the pain faded as the contraction passed. You slumped against Arthur, letting him support your weight for a moment while you caught your breath. 

“See,” Jack said, “The pain went away,” You turned your head and smiled down at him. 

“You’re right, Jack. When’d you get so wise, huh?” You asked. 

“I dunno. Probably Uncle Hosea,” He shrugged. You all laughed at his response. Jack returned to his spot on the floor where he was playing. 

You tilted your head up to meet Arthur’s gaze. He smiled and planted a small kiss on your forehead. You felt Charles press one to the back of your head. 

John dragged your chair across the floor, bringing it over for you to sit back down. You gave him a grateful smile as Arthur helped you sit back down in the chair. You wiped some sweat from your forehead. 

“Here, my love, let me pull your hair back,” Charles said, striding quickly up the stairs to get your hairbrush and a ribbon to tie your hair back with. 

“That was a bad one,” You said, looking at Abigail. She chuckled. 

“You ain’t done yet,” she warned sympathetically. You groaned and slumped back in your chair. Arthur firmly massaged your shoulders, leaning down to press a quick kiss to your cheek. 

“I don’t remember it taking this long when Jack was born.” John frowned. Abigail barked out a laugh. 

“That’s ‘cause you was drunk most of the day.” Abigail scoffed, hitting his side playfully with the back of her hand. 

Charles came back down the stairs with your hairbrush in hand. He immediately moved behind you, gently combing through your hair with his fingers before running the brush through your hair. 

“Passed out for part of it too, if I remember right,” Arthur laughed, pulling up a chair for himself. John frowned, trying to remember. 

“Was I?” He asked, looking down at Abigail. She laughed. 

"Yes. You was." She replied. "But maybe that was for the best. Not sure I would've wanted you there anyway." She said. John looked a little hurt by that. 

"A lot of women don't want their men anywhere near them when they're laboring." Mrs. Grimshaw explained. 

"I'm just odd that way," you chimed in. John seemed comforted by that. 

"I guess that makes sense," he said. "you three got a bond unlike anything I've ever seen." Abigail and Mrs. Grimshaw nodded in agreement. 

You blushed slightly, not sure what to say to that. Charles set down the hairbrush he was using and gently carded his fingers through your hair, parting it into three sections. You sighed, loving the feeling of his hands carding through your hair. 

He expertly wove your hair into a braid, tight enough that your hair wouldn't escape, but still loose enough that it wasn't uncomfortable. You closed your eyes, leaning back into his touch as he finished braiding your hair and tied off the ends. 

"Thank you," you murmured. Charles leaned down and kissed your forehead. 

"Well, while we're all waiting for this to pick up, one of you men want to run and get some fresh water? Some to warm up and some for drinking." Mrs. Grimshaw said. Arthur and Charles exchanged glances, neither wanting to leave you for a second. 

"I'll go," John volunteered, grabbing his hat from the table and stepping out. 

“Are you ready for this?” Arthur asked gently, holding your hand. You shook your head. 

“Not really.” you admitted. You were absolutely terrified. “But I don’t think I really have a... ha!” You gasped as another contraction washed over you. Charles helped you out of the chair and held you against him, swaying you side to side gently. You moaned as the contraction tore through your body, holding onto Charles for support. Arthur rubbed your back firmly, trying to help ease some of the tension. 

You whimpered and held onto Charles tightly as the contraction slowly faded, burying your face in his chest. He was murmuring words of encouragement, but you had tuned him out. 

“Looks like those are getting stronger,” Mrs. Grimshaw noted. “We’re moving along nicely.”

You grumbled against Charles’ shirt. On the one hand, you were ready to just get this over with. On the other hand, you wanted it to stop. 

John took Jack out for a ride not long after. Mrs. Grimshaw continued remarking that things were moving along nicely, that it seemed your babies were eager to join the world, and weren’t making you wait. There were a few times you wanted to punch her to get her to shut up. Charles and Arthur never left your side, one of them always there to hold your hand, hold you up, whatever you needed from them. 

Within a couple of hours, your contractions had you sobbing and crying out in pain. You couldn’t get yourself to move around anymore, and had moved to the little pile of blankets and pillows near the fireplace, resting mostly on your hands and knees, or kneeling upright and holding on to one of your men.

Arthur and Charles had stripped down to just a shirt and pants. Charles was kneeling next to you, rubbing your back as you panted. Arthur pressed a wet rag to your face and neck, wiping the sweat from your body. You groaned and trembled as another contraction clenched your body. You reached out blindly for someone’s hand, and Arthur gave you his, letting you squeeze the life out of it. 

The contraction passed, and you groaned, moving off your hands and knees to sit propped up against a tower of pillows. 

“Mrs. Grimshaw,” you panted. “I feel like I need to push,” You said nervously. 

“Alright then,” Mrs. Grimshaw said, coming to kneel down in front of you. Abigail knelt next to her, ready with blankets, a basin of water, everything they would need. “Sit on either side of her,” She instructed Charles and Arthur. “Let her squeeze your hands, and help hold her knees open.”

Charles and Arthur came to either side of you, offering their hands which you gladly took. Charles brought your hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. Arthur leaned forward and pressed a kiss to your damp, sweaty forehead. 

“You can do this,” He murmured, not a hint of doubt in his voice. “Just keep squeezing our hands, even if you feel fingers break.” He joked. He sat back on his heels so Charles could lean over you and press a kiss of his own on your forehead. 

“You’ve got this. And we’ve got you,” Charles murmured. You nodded. You were scared. Terrified. But you took deep breaths, steeling your nerves. 

“Alright. Next contraction, I want you to push, alright?” Mrs. Grimshaw instructed. You nodded. It was quiet for a moment, then you felt another contraction clench your body. “Push,” Mrs. Grimshaw instructed. 

You clung to your mens hands tightly as you pushed. You grit your teeth, trying not to cry out at the incredible pain you felt, trying to focus on pushing and nothing else. You flopped back against the pillows, gasping and crying. 

“Good girl,” Mrs. Grimshaw praised, patting your knee. “That was very good. Keep going like that and you’ll see your little ones in no time.” 

You whimpered and closed your eyes as you lay back against the pillows. A damp rag patted your brow, gently wiping the sweat from your brow. You could hear Arthur and Charles murmuring praises next to your ear, but you couldn’t focus on either of them. 

“It hurts,” You whimpered. 

“I know,” Abigail soothed. “But it’ll be over soon. This is the worst of it, and then it’s over,” She assured you. 

“‘Cept I gotta do it twice,” You snapped. You didn’t mean to lash out at her. You were just in so much pain. Another contraction gripped your belly, and you pushed again. 

It went on like this for some time. How long, you weren’t sure. Time meant nothing. It was just pain and pushing, and the moments in between when you caught your breath as much as you could. You pushed with everything you had.

“Nearly there,” Mrs. Grimshaw encouraged as another contraction passed. 

“You two,” You panted angrily, “Can take care of yourselves from now on, you ain’t EVER coming near me again,” You growled. Mrs. Grimshaw and Abigail snorted with laughter. Arthur flushed slightly, embarrassed, but he just nodded in encouragement. Before either he and Charles could say anything, another contraction hit, and you began pushing once more, crying out in pain. 

Suddenly the pain seemed to pass. You froze, blinking in confusion as you felt something slip out. You, Arthur and Charles all seemed to hold your breath, watching as Mrs. Grimshaw and Abigail worked. In their arms was a pink, slippery-looking baby. It looked kind of like a deformed... you weren’t even sure what. But Abigail had assured you that they looked funny at first, but after a couple of days they’d look more human. 

The baby let out a little cry, and you let out a little noise between a cry and a gasp. Abigail held the baby in a little towel, smiling up at you. 

“A little girl,” She said. You flopped back against the mountain of pillows behind you, laughing and crying with joy. “Who’s going to cut the cord?” Abigail asked. 

“Charles,” You said, smiling up at him. He looked down at you, wide-eyed, then back at the baby. Arthur leaned down and smothered your forehead in kisses. 

Charles slowly scooted down to where Abigail held the baby. She handed him the knife that had been cleaned for this. Reverently he cut the cord, staring down at his daughter as she squirmed and cried in Abigail’s grasp. Mrs. Grimshaw tied off the cord while Abigail held her, Charles staring down at her in awe. 

“Well come on, don’t keep her all to yourself,” Arthur teased Charles, “Bring here here so we can meet her too.” 

“Here we go,” Abigail said gently. “Mind her head. There you go,” She carefully passed Charles the baby. He knelt there, frozen for a minute, staring down at the little baby in his hands. She looked so tiny in his arms. Not even the length of his forearm. Slowly, carefully, he made his way back up to where you and Arthur were waiting. 

She was a strange pink-purple color, covered in bits of stuff. Thin, light hairs lay across the top of her head. Her face almost looked squished, but to you she was the most beautiful thing in the world. You gently took her from Charles, looking down at her as she squirmed and cried. 

“It’s alright, darlin’,” You cooed, brushing your thumb gently across her cheek. “You’re alright. You’re safe. Your Papa and your Daddy and I have got you.” You said. “We ain’t letting anything happen to you.” You soothed. Her little fists flailed slightly as she settled, cries fading to little whimpers and grunts. 

Slowly her little eyes opened. Two wide, grey-blue saucers stared up at the three of you. 

“There she is,” Arthur murmured, smiling down at the little baby. “There’s our beautiful girl.” 

“Hello, little one,” Charles cooed, “Welcome to the world.” The little girl's eyes flicked across the three of you, unfocused, but curious as she took in the sight of the three of you. 

You whimpered as another contraction hit you, and you remembered that you weren’t done yet. Charles gently took the baby from you and passed her to Abigail, who carefully took her to get her cleaned up in the basin of warm water. 

“Alright,” Mrs. Grimshaw said, “Looks like baby number 2 is ready to join their sister.” 

“Damn you, both of you!” You cried, glaring up at Charles, then at Arthur as the pain seized your body once more. 

And so it began once again. The pain overtook every other thought as you began pushing once more. This time it seemed faster. Maybe your body was more ready after already pushing out one baby. A few pushes later, you felt the same slipping sensation as the baby slid into Mrs. Grimshaws arms. 

“A little boy,” She said excitedly as she cleared the baby’s nose and mouth. He let out an indignant scream and began crying loudly. “Arthur? You gonna come cut the cord?” Mrs. Grimshaw asked. 

It was Arthur’s turn to look nervous as he moved down to where Mrs. Grimshaw waited. Wrapped in a blanket, she handed the baby to Arthur while she tied off the cord. The little boy was just as small as his sister, his head fitting perfectly into the palm of Arthur’s hand. Mrs. Grimshaw took the baby back and handed him the knife. Once the cord was cut, she handed him back the baby. 

“Go show your wife the little boy,” Mrs. Grimshaw urged in her no-nonsense sort of way. “She’s done all the hard work. Ain’t fair to keep her waiting.” 

Obediently Arthur returned to your side with the little boy in his arms, gently handing him to you. Again, the child looked more like a potato than a baby. Face squished and pinched. He had much more hair than his sister, dark black, matted to the top of his little head. 

“Shhhh, it’s alright,” You cooed. “Mama’s got you. And Daddy and Papa are right here. You’re safe.” You murmured. Slowly the little boy seemed to settle. His eyes blinked open, revealing two large brown saucers. His cries quieted as he looked up at you, little fists pinching at the fabric of your nightgown. 

“You’re alright, little man,” Arthur soothed. 

“It’s a little scary out here, but we’ll keep you safe,” Charles murmured. 

“Trade ya,” Abigail said, kneeling down beside Charles. She gently handed Charles the little girl, all clean and swaddled in fresh blankets, and scooped up the little boy to get him cleaned up. Mrs. Grimshaw was bustling about between your legs, cleaning up the afterbirth and the rest of the mess, but you weren’t paying any attention, too enthralled by the little bundle in Charles’ arms. 

She whimpered, mouth opening and closing, searching for food. Charles handed you the baby, and you undid the top buttons of your nightgown and shrugged it off one shoulder. After some fumbling, both from you and the little girl, she finally latched on. It hurt, but you ignored the discomfort and settled in. 

Arthur and Charles were watching with fascination as she nursed, unable to peel their eyes away. To be fair, neither could you. Even cleaned up she looked very strange, but also perfect. Her eyes flicked up to look at you, and you smiled widely down at her. 

“Welcome to the world my sweet little girl,” You murmured, brushing her hair back with her thumb. She made little huffing noises through her nose as she suckled, the most adorable sound you’d ever heard. 

Once she’d drunk her fill, she let go of your breast with a small popping sound. You, Arthur and Charles all giggled at the little noise. 

“Here, go see your Papa,” You said, gently passing her off to Arthur. Arthur sat down on the floor, legs crossed, and took her from you. Abigail walked over with the other bundle in her arms, passing your little boy to you gently. 

“They’re both so beautiful,” She cooed, glancing over at the little girl, tucked carefully in her Papa’s arms. 

“They are,” You murmured, looking down at your son. You lowered the other side of your nightgown, offering your other breast to the little boy. He didn’t latch on quite as quickly as his sister did. He seemed unsure of what was happening, eyes scrunched as he grunted and whined. 

“You’re alright,” Charles murmured, large hand resting on top of the little baby’s head. “Come on, now. I’m sure you’re hungry.” He said, deep voice warm and encouraging. Little fists pinched at your breast for a moment, then he seemed to figure out what he was supposed to do, and latched on. Again, it hurt, and you shifted uncomfortably. Charles leaned forward and pressed a soothing kiss to your forehead. 

“There we go. Aren’t you so clever?” You murmured. Big brown eyes looked up at you for a moment as he nursed before they closed. The little body in your arms relaxed as he continued to drink his. “Aww. Tired little boy.” You cooed.

“She’s already back asleep,” Arthur whispered. You glanced over to where Arthur held your daughter, fast asleep in his arms. 

“Oh yes,” Abigail giggled from where she was helping Mrs. Grimshaw clean everything up. “The way babies act the first few weeks, you’d think being born was more work than giving birth.” quiet chuckles filled the room. 

“Speaking of,” Charles murmured. You turned to look at him. He was smiling proudly at you, eyes wet with emotion. “You did incredible. Our warrior queen,” He said. You tilted your head up, and he met your lips for a quick kiss. 

“Really,” Arthur agreed, grabbing your attention. He looked equally as emotional. “You did so well. I...” Arthur paused, trying to rein in his emotions. You tilted toward him and knocked your forehead against his. “I’ll never be able to thank you for the gift you have given me. Given us.” Arthur murmured. Charles hummed in agreement. 

You weren’t sure what to say. You just looked back down at your son, who had fallen asleep in your arms. You smiled as you watched his little chest rise and fall. 

“Alrighty, missy. Pass your little man off to Charles. Lets get you up the stairs to your bed so you can be more comfortable and rest.” Mrs. Grimshaw said. You nodded and handed the baby to Charles. Arthur and Charles carefully moved out of the way as Mrs. Grimshaw and Abigail slowly helped you to your feet. God everything ached. You couldn’t suppress a little groan as you stood.

It was slow moving up the stairs to your bed, Abigail on one side of you, Susan on the other, arms around your waist to help hold you up. The act of moving up the stairs seemed to take the last of your energy, and you flopped ungracefully into your bed. Mrs. Grimshaw helped you into a fresh nightgown and clean pair of drawers with a large listers towel inside to catch the blood. Arthur and Charles followed up the stairs a moment later, each carrying a little bundle. 

Through the window you could hear John and Jack playing in the yard. You glanced up at Abigail and she nodded. 

“I’ll go tell them the good news,” She said with a huge smile on her face. “Jack’ll probably wanna come see. Is that okay?” She asked. You nodded as Mrs. Grimshaw helped you settle yourself under the blankets. 

“Briefly,” Mrs. Grimshaw said firmly. “Mama and babies need rest.” Abigail nodded and turned, walking quickly down the stairs. You listened as the door opened, and the voices in the yard went quiet. You could hear Abigail’s soft voice, then a little cheer from Jack and hoot from John. You chuckled slightly, settling into the mattress. 

Arthur and Charles were standing nearby, each holding a baby in their arms, unable to take their eyes off of them. It would have been so precious, if you didn’t want to hold one of them too. 

“Well give me one of them,” You huffed, much to Mrs. Grimshaw’s amusement. Both men gave you a sheepish smile and Arthur brought your little girl over to you. You took her carefully, not wanting to disturb her. Charles came and sat down on your other side, still holding your son in his arms. 

Small feet pounded across the floor downstairs, and you grinned when you saw Jack racing up the stairs. 

“Gentle, Jack!” Abigail hissed. “You’re aunty’s hurting and the babies are little. Be gentle and be quiet.” Jack slowed his steps, moving cautiously and respectfully toward your bed. You could have burst out laughing when John reached the top of the steps as well, looking exactly like Jack. 

“You wanna come meet them?” You asked Jack. He nodded and approached the bed, climbing up beside you and sitting on his knees. You leaned forward so he could get a good look at the little girl in your arms. Charles tilted his arms up slightly so that Jack could see the little boy as well. 

“They’re so small,” He whispered in wonder. You nodded. 

“But one day they’ll be as big as you,” You assured him. “One day, they may even be as big as Charles and Arthur,” Jack looked doubtful at that, eyes flicking between the baby boy and Charles. 

“Look at them,” John said, patting Arthur’s back fondly. “Ain’t they sweet lookin’.” 

“They sure are,” Abigail sighed, “I remember when Jack was that little.” She ruffled her sons hair. “I miss having a little one. I want another one.” 

“Huh?” John asked, face going pale as he looked over at Abigail in fear. You bit your lip to suppress a laugh. Charles’ shoulders shook beside you as he tried to keep his laughter at bay. 

“What... er... what are their names?” John asked, desperate to change the subject.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The days that followed were peaceful. Arthur and Charles refused to let you do anything, one of them always by your side. Any time the babies needed to be fed, they were on their feet, scooping them out of their cradles and bringing them to you. They said that after all the work you’d done, you deserved to rest in bed. 

The two men had worked for months to carve cradles for the babies, painstakingly crafting their first beds. The wooden cradles sat near your bed, lined with fox pelts to keep them cushioned and warm. 

One morning, about a week after your babies were born, you woke to an empty bed. It was still early morning, the world a pale grey. The sun hadn’t peaked over the mountain yet. But Arthur and Charles were nowhere to be found. You sat up and glanced over at the cradles. Both were also empty. 

You sat there a moment, listening for anything that might signal where your family was. But the house was still and quiet. Slowly you climbed out of bed, still more than a little tender, though moving was becoming easier every day. You pulled a simple dress on over your nightgown and slipped on your boots before heading downstairs. There was a fire lit in the fireplace, but no other sign that anyone else was up. 

You stepped out of the house into the crisp morning air. The yard was empty, or so it seemed. You could hear some noise on the other side of the barn. The horses were nickering and stomping. 

With no other clue as to where your husbands could be, you headed out across the yard to the corral on the other side of the barn. The sight that greeted you was possibly the sweetest thing you would ever witness. 

Arthur and Charles stood on the other side of the corral, each holding a baby, carefully introducing the children to your horses. Taima presently had her nose pressed against your daughter’s belly, snuffling carefully while Charles spoke to her softly. Your horse and Arthur’s horse were sniffing your son, who was cradled in Arthur’s arms. Juniper and Old Boy were grazing nearby. 

Juniper lifted her head when she saw you and whinnied, trotting to the other side of the corral to see you. You grinned and stepped forward, meeting her at the fence. She nuzzled your belly for a moment, as if checking that no babies were still in there, then huffed in satisfaction. You laughed, opening the gate and stepping inside the corral. Juniper walked beside you as you crossed to where Arthur and Charles were standing, both giving you wide smiles. 

“They alright?” You asked when you reached them, giving Charles a quick kiss. 

“Sure,” Arthur replied. “They just started,” He paused to give you a quick kiss as well. “Fussing about twenty minutes ago. We knew they weren’t hungry. Thought maybe they’d like to see more of the world.” 

You peered over at one baby, then the other. Both were awake, staring at the large animals that were still curiously sniffing at them. Your son watched them with wide, owlish eyes. He wasn’t afraid, just observing, taking in their every move. Juniper huffed out a breath over his face, causing him to blink wildly, but he wasn’t afraid, just startled. 

Your daughter on the other hand seemed entirely at home, like she already knew what a horse was, how it would behave, and what to do with it. Taima’s lips lightly brushed against her little leg, and she just watched, not flinching, not afraid. 

You smiled and leaned back against the fence of the corral, content that your babies were alright, wrapped up against the chill and safe in their fathers’ arms. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, filling the valley with a warm, orange glow. You sighed contently. 

“They’re both going to be great horse-folk one day,” You remarked, surprised at how well the newborns were handling the giant beasts. Charles hummed in agreement, and Arthur nodded. “Must get it from their fathers. I was terrified of horses until I was 6.” You teased. Charles chuckled and leaned over to press a kiss to your cheek. 

“How are you feeling this morning, love?” He asked tenderly. 

“I’m fine,” You assured him. “Certainly not ready to jump on a horse and ride across the plains chasing down O’Driscolls,” You joked. Both men laughed. “But I’m feeling fine,” 

“Good,” Arthur murmured. Both men stepped closer so their shoulders were pressed against yours. The three of you were quiet for a moment, staring out at the peaceful world around you. You heard a twig crack in the forest behind you and you glanced over your shoulder. 

“Look,” you whispered. Arthur and Charles turned their heads to follow your gaze. Two bucks and a doe carefully picked their way out of the trees, heading toward the creek. The bucks looked around cautiously, eyeing you for a moment before deeming you safe. 

The doe let out a little honk, and you gasped as two fawns stumbled out of the bushes after their mother. Wobbly legs picked their way down toward the creek. They could only be a few days old. One of the bucks stood watch while the other drank from the stream alongside the doe. One of the fawns stopped to nurse while the other cautiously waded into the creek, exploring the feeling of the rushing water. 

You watched in silence as the strange little family visited the creek. Once the one buck had drunk it’s fill, it took it’s place on guard duty so the other could drink. The fawn that was splashing in the water slipped and fell in. One of the bucks nudged it to its feet and pushed it toward it’s mother, who sniffed it over for a moment before seeming satisfied that it wasn’t hurt. 

Your son let out a little squawk, catching the attention of the family of deer. Five heads turned to study you. You froze, not wanting to scare them off. The deer stared you down for a minute, before the mother nudged her babies forward, and the little family picked their way upstream, away from your little farm. 

“Wow” You breathed, once they were gone. 

“I know.” Charles murmured. 

“It seems dumb but... d’you think that’s the same trio of deer?” Arthur asked, practically reading your mind. Was it the same family of deer that had been in the yard when you’d first moved in. It was a silly thought, with how many deer lived in the area. But it was nice to pretend. 

“I think so,” You responded. Charles hummed in agreement. With the family of deer out of sight, the three of you turned back to the horses. You grabbed Arthur’s arm lightly, peering down at your little boy. “Are you alright, baby?” You asked gently. He blinked at you, little fists flailing in the air slightly. Arthur handed you the baby, and you held him close, bouncing him ever so slightly. 

“There you are,” Johns rough voice caught your attention. You glanced up to see John striding toward the corral fence. “We got some visitors wantin’ to see ya.” He said, a grin on his face. You furrowed your brow. Visitors? You glanced at your husbands, trying to see if they had any idea what he was talking about. They looked equally confused. 

The three of you followed John around the barn to the main part of the yard. You gasped when you saw them. 

Dutch and Hosea were in front of the group of visitors, grinning from ear to ear when they saw you. Behind them were Javier and Sean and Lenny and Mary Beth and... well everyone. The whole Van der Linde gang had come by to see you and welcome your children to the world. 

“There they are,” Hosea said, a big smile on his face. He dismounted Silver Dollar with a groan, and Dutch followed suit. Hosea stepped forward, wrapping you in a fatherly hug, careful of the little bundle in your arms. “It’s so good to see you, dear girl.” He murmured. You hugged him back with one arm. 

“It’s good to see you too.” you said, still shocked at what you were seeing. “All of you. I didn’t expect...” 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Dutch said warmly. “We wanted to come by and see you all before we set off up north. And we thought we’d collect Mrs. Grimshaw as well,” He chuckled. In unison, Hosea and Dutch peered down at your son. 

“Awww look at the little tike,” Hosea cooed, gently taking the little boys hand between his thumb and pointer finger, giving it a little shake. 

“Boy or girl?” Dutch asked.

“This one’s a little boy,” you said. “You wanna hold him?” You asked, looking between the men. 

“May I?” Hosea asked, grinning. You chuckled and handed him the little boy. Hosea held him like a pro. You bit your lip, emotions welling up at seeing him holding your son. “Aww he’s precious. What’s his name?” Hosea asked. 

“His name’s Hosea,” Arthur said, placing a hand on your shoulder. Hosea stared at you both in shock for a moment. He looked down at the baby, quickly blinking tears away. 

“Easy, old girl,” Dutch chuckled, clapping Hosea on the shoulder. 

“No, I’m fine,” He said, sounding entirely not fine. You didn’t say anything, just smiled as Hosea cradled his namesake close. 

“I don’t suppose the other little fella’s name is Dutch, is it?” Dutch asked. You chuckled. 

“The other ‘little fella’ is a she,” You said, “And, no. Though we did briefly entertain the name Duchess. But it takes a certain kind of person to carry a name like that. Didn’t want to burden her with that.” You said. Dutch winked at you. 

“Yes, probably for the best,” He chuckled. “What’s her name, then?” Dutch asked as Charles held up the little girl for him to see. 

“Bea,” Charles responded. Dutch did his very best to hide his confusion. He really did. But he failed miserably. 

“Bee? Like the flying insect?” Dutch asked carefully. 

“B-E-A,” you chuckled. “Short for Beatrice.” 

“After my mom,” Arthur explained. 

“Hosea and Bea,” Dutch said, scratching his chin. “I like it. Could I hold little Bea?” He asked. Charles nodded and handed Bea to him, holding her head until he was certain Dutch had her securely. 

Hosea glanced over at Bea, then back at his namesake. You watched his brow scrunch up slightly in confusion. You knew exactly what he was thinking. 

Bea had light blonde hairs on the top of her head, and grey-blue eyes. Though they could darken to brown, it seemed logical that Arthur was her biological father. 

Hosea, on the other hand, had dark black hairs covering his head, and those wide, brown eyes. His skin was also darker than Bea’s, and would likely continue to darken as he grew older. Which would make you think that he was Charles’ blood. 

Except that wasn’t possible... was it? You’d been thinking it over for a couple days now. Hosea met your eyes for a moment, and you nodded. You’d have to see if you could get him alone later to talk about it. Hosea was the smartest man you knew (not that you’d ever admit it in Dutch’s presence). If anyone could explain it, Hosea could. 

“Can we come see them?” Mary Beth’s voice caught your attention. It was then that you realized the rest of the gang had held back, letting the leaders meet the new arrivals first. You chuckled. 

“Of course.” You said. 

“Only a couple at a time,” Mrs. Grimshaw ordered from where she stood just outside the Marston’s cabin. “Don’t crowd them.” She warned. Everyone nodded solemnly, knowing better than to disobey. 

Karen, Mary Beth and Tilly raced toward you, sweeping you up in a hug. You laughed, hugging your friends close as they congratulated you over and over. 

Javier and Sean approached Dutch and Hosea, peering over their shoulders at the babies. You paused, thinking of all the things you’d seen Sean do, and the few times you’d seen him wash his hands after. You pulled out of your friend's grasps. 

“Hey!” You hollered, silencing everyone. You narrowed your eyes at Sean. “Wash your hands first. There’s a pump around the side of the house.” You said firmly. Javier nodded his head, quickly turning to follow your instructions. Sean stared at you open mouthed. 

“Why didn’t ya make them wash their hands?” He asked indignantly. 

“Because I know how often they wash up. I’ve seen them.” you stared Sean down, daring him to argue. 

“Go wash up, you fool,” Hosea tutted. 

“You heard her. Wash up before you meet the little ones. Mama’s rule is law around these parts,” Susan called, giving you an approving smile. Tilly laughed as Sean slunk off around the house to wash his hands. A few of the others followed. The rest would follow when they were ready to meet the babies. For now, everyone was just milling about the yard, chatting away.

Little Hosea was handed back to you so the girls gathered around you could see. Bea was handed off to Arthur. Hosea and Dutch stayed nearby, constantly patting Arthur and Charles on the back and telling them they were proud. Mary Beth and Tilly washed their hands, then came back so they could have their turns holding Hosea. (Karen said she was fine to just look. She didn’t want to break him.) 

As the morning went on, everyone got their turn greeting the babies. Javier had turned to mush at the sight of the little ones, and after the babies were pried from his grasp, he sat down nearby with his guitar and began strumming soft songs to keep the babies happy. 

Lenny looked terrified when you had set little Hosea in his arms, frozen as if afraid he’d drop him with one move. Though eventually he’d settled in some, and began cooing at the baby like the others. Kieran scrubbed himself raw, afraid he’d be deemed too grubby to hold the babies. To be fair, you weren’t sure you’d ever seen him take a bath. Arthur had side-eyed him for a moment, teasing Kieran as he always did before he relented and set Bea in his arms. Kieran was surprisingly good with her. 

“Go introduce her to Branwen,” You suggested to Kieran. “She loves the horses.” Kieran grinned from ear to ear, honored to be trusted with such a task. Arthur followed casually, not necessarily because he didn’t trust Kieran, but rather he didn’t trust anyone with his baby. He wanted to be nearby just in case. 

You found Sadie leaning against the barn, watching the scene, and promptly deposited little Hosea in her arms. 

“I didn’t wash up,” She warned. You chuckled. 

“Yeah but I’ve seen you wash your hands before.” You sat down on a bale of hay next to her, a little tired. Sadie stared down at the little boy in her arms. 

“He’s precious,” She murmured after a moment. 

“Yeah, I think so,” You joked. She scoffed and handed him back to you. 

“There you are,” Arthur greeted you. 

“I thought you were with Bea?” You asked. 

“Charles sent me away.” Arthur huffed. “Said I was making Kieran nervous.” 

“Well you probably were,” You chuckled. Arthur smiled and shook his head. 

“Hows the little man?” He asked, peering down at Hosea, who, somehow, had managed to fall asleep. 

“He’s good.” You said. 

“And you?” 

“I’m fine,” You assured him. “Little tired but I just needed to sit down for a moment,” Arthur nodded. “I never expected everyone to come.” You said, looking around at the yard, full of life, full of laughter. You’d miss them all when they went to Canada. But it was for the best. 

“Course we came,” Sadie scoffed. “Had to see the kids before we headed out.” You chuckled and nodded. 

“I should have figured you would.” You looked up at Arthur. “Here. You take him and let the others meet him. I’m going to sit here for a little bit.” you said. Arthur nodded and gently took the baby from your arms. He gave you a quick kiss, then rejoined the mass of people in the yard. 

“Someone’s found your stash of beer.” Sadie commented, nodding to where Swanson was sneaking out the kitchen door holding a couple bottles. 

“Shit,” You said, moving to push yourself to your feet. Sadie stopped you with a hand on your shoulder. 

“I got him. You take it easy,” She said firmly. You watched as she followed Swanson as he slunk around the back of your house. 

“You alright?” Hosea’s gentle voice grabbed your attention. The kind old gunslinger sat down on the hay beside you with a groan. You nodded. 

“Just tired. Still kinda hard to do much at a time,” You admitted. Hosea nodded. 

“I can only imagine.” He said. The two of you were quiet. You knew he was waiting for you to broach the subject that was on your mind. 

“Hosea. Have you ever heard of twins having different fathers?” You asked after a moment. 

“Heteropaternal twins,” Hosea said, nodding. “I read something about it once. It’s pretty rare. Fraternal twins with different fathers.” 

“I didn’t think it was possible.” you mused in wonder. 

“I’d completely forgotten about it until I saw them.” Hosea said. “I’m no doctor, but I’d wager that’s what you’ve got on your hands.” He said. “Little Bea is the spitting image of Isaac.” He said. 

“You got to see Isaac?” You asked, surprised. You hadn’t realized Arthur had let any of the gang anywhere near his son. Hosea nodded. 

“Once, not long after he was born. Arthur took me to meet Eliza and his son.” Hosea chuckled. “Bea looks just like him. And little Hosea...” Hosea smiled as he said the name, clearly still emotional over his namesake. “Aside from his skin and hair... he’s got Charles’ nose.” And he did. As little as it was, you could already tell that your son’s nose looked like a tiny version of Charles’. You and Hosea were silent for a moment. 

“Have they been paying more attention to one baby over the other?” Hosea asked curiously. You shook your head. 

“No. They love both of them equally. I see Arthur holding Hosea just as often as Bea. Same with Charles. It doesn’t matter to them. It doesn’t matter to me. I just...” You let out a little laugh. “I thought I was going crazy.” You admitted. “I kept looking at the babies and seeing bits and pieces of both men, and I was so confused.” You laughed. “I thought maybe wishful thinking had sent me insane.” 

“No,” Hosea chuckled. “No. Like every aspect of your relationship, I think your children have to be different. In this case, miraculous.” Hosea patted your knee. “Somehow, I’m not that surprised. You three have never followed convention. Why would you now?” You both laughed. 

“Thanks, Hosea.” You said. You paused for a moment. “Do you want a picture with them? Arthur’s got that camera of his. And he’s got an artist friend who can develop the photos. We could send you the prints.” 

“I’d love that.” Hosea said, smiling widely. 

“You get Arthur and tell him to bring his camera. I’ll get the other baby. Meet us on the other side of the barn. There’s a really nice spot where we can take the picture.” Hosea nodded and stood, offering you a hand up. On a mission, you crossed the yard until you found Charles sitting with Bea next to Javier. 

“Come here. We need you and Bea for a second.” You said. Charles nodded and stood. “Javier, if anyone asks, tell them to mind their business for a few minutes.” You said. Javier chuckled. 

“Will do,” He replied. You led Charles across the yard. Arthur and Hosea were just around the barn. Hosea held his namesake, and Arthur held his camera. 

“Over this way,” You said, leading them over the fence to a nice little spot by the river. “Okay Hosea, sit down right here. They’re kind of a handful to hold standing up.” You said. Hosea chuckled and did as instructed, sitting cross-legged in the grass. Charles handed him Bea. Hosea carefully held the babies in each arm, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at them. 

Arthur, seeming to understand what was happening, crouched down so he could snap a few pictures. Hosea was positively beaming, hold his two grandchildren (they were his grandchildren and you would fight anyone who said otherwise). You smiled at the scene, the wise old gunslinger holding the twins proudly.

“Here, Arthur, give me the camera and go sit next to him.” You said, snagging the camera before Arthur could argue. Charles nudged Arthur forward, and with a huff, he sat down next to Hosea. Arthur gently took Bea from his father-figure, letting Hosea hold his namesake. He gave you a shy yet dashing smile and leaned in toward Hosea as you snapped a few pictures.

“Alright, now you and Arthur switch places. I want a picture with the babies and their mama.” Hosea said. Arthur stood and handed you your daughter, and you came to sit down next to Hosea. You leaned against him slightly, and smiled for the camera while Arthur took the pictures.

“Now you Charles. Yes you,” Hosea huffed. “I want a picture with you too.” You giggled and passed Bea off to Charles before standing next to Arthur. Hosea certainly knew what he wanted, but you all were more than happy to give it to him, knowing that with him fleeing the country, you may never see him again. Arthur snapped a few pictures of Charles and Hosea sitting in the grass, grinning widely and holding up the babies. 

“Alright. Now I have one last request.” Hosea said, pulling himself to his feet. He placed Hosea in Arthur’s arms and snagged the camera from him. “I want a picture of all of you together. One big happy family.” He said. You smiled and nodded. 

“Of course.” You said. Charles stood up and you moved to stand next to him, with Arthur on your other side. The men held the babies, and you linked your arms through theirs. Hosea snapped a few pictures of the five of you. Part-way through, Arthur and Charles turned and pressed their lips to your cheeks, making you laugh as Hosea snapped a few more pictures. 

“There.” Hosea said finally, grinning at you. “That should do it.” He said. 

“I’ll write to my friend Albert. See if we can get them developed.” Arthur said, handing you little Hosea and taking his camera back. “Write to us once you get to Canada, and we’ll send you copies.” He said. Hosea nodded. 

“Thank you,” He said, “all of you. You’ve made this old outlaw so happy.” He chuckled. Arthur patted him on the back. 

“Don’t get soft on us now, old man,” Arthur chuckled. 

As the four of your turned back to the barn, you were shocked to find the entire gang watching the sweet scene. You huffed in irritation. 

“What happened to telling them to mind their own business?” You asked Javier. 

“You know they never listen to me,” Javier said, grinning from ear to ear. You shook your head as the four of you made your way back to the others. 

“When have you ever known us to mind our own business?” Dutch chuckled, slapping Arthur’s back slightly. You all laughed. 

You made your way back to the main part of the yard, Charles on one side, Arthur on the other. You’d miss your extended family terribly, especially people like Hosea or Javier or Tilly. But you knew this was where you belonged, you and your growing little family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some of you had already called it, Reader had fraternal twins with different fathers. Yes that is possible. Rare, but possible. 
> 
> I hope you all have enjoyed this one :)


End file.
